It is clear that doing a good job is inherently rewarding, but that isn't the issue. "Value performance over reward" is highly questionable as contingent, even as monitary reward is limited. Artistic rewards can be very personal even if many of them come from performance. The definition of "rewards" just ain't the same for the same reasons. I'll suggest that a majority of life wouldn't be doing whatever it is that they do without the *personal rewards.

Is this a "chicken and the egg" question... are we unneccessarily forcing our own capacity to ask a question where the answer is "self-evident"?