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Why Are Young People Pretending to Love Work?

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Summary

This article examines the current workplace culture of performative workaholism and the effects it has on young workers. The article explores the origins of the "hustle culture," which is characterized by an obsession with striving, relentless positivity, and lack of humor. It discusses how technology companies have created a culture of overwork and the ways in which it has become mainstream, with companies like WeWork exporting the culture to 27 countries. The article also examines the exploitative nature of this culture, with few of the workers actually benefiting from the extreme wealth created by tech giants. It looks at how this culture has become almost spiritual for some in Silicon Valley, with workers internalizing the idea that work is not something you do to get what you want, but the work itself is all. The article concludes by looking at how workers are beginning to revolt against this culture, and how some are realizing that it is not sustainable and can lead to burnout.

Q&As

What is hustle culture and how has it become mainstream?
Hustle culture is an obsession with striving, relentlessly positive, and devoid of humor. It has become mainstream through companies like WeWork, which have exported their brand of performative workaholism to 27 countries, with 400,000 tenants, including workers from 30 percent of the Global Fortune 500.

What are the potential repercussions of glorifying personal profit and productivity?
Glorifying personal profit and productivity can lead to exploitation of workers, as well as the perpetuation of myths about overwork that justify the extreme wealth created for a small group of elite techies. It can also lead to a dehumanizing and toxic work culture, where workers are seen as resources to be expended.

How has technology influenced the way people view work and their relationship with their employers?
Technology has influenced the way people view work by creating an expectation that good grades and extracurricular overachievement will reward them with fulfilling jobs that feed their passions. It has also led to companies offering perks to keep employees at their desks longer, and has created a culture of work zeal that is almost spiritual in nature.

What are the consequences of equating one's worth to their productivity?
Equating one's worth to their productivity can lead to burnout, as well as feelings of guilt for spending time on anything that is nonwork related. It can also lead to a feeling of being expendable, as if one's job would be replaced the day after they died.

How have millennials reacted to the expectations and pressures of the working culture?
Millennials have reacted to the expectations and pressures of the working culture by posing as rise-and-grinders and lusting for Monday mornings as a defense mechanism. They have also protested against the culture of overwork, with some 20,000 Googlers participating in a walkout in November 2018.

AI Comments

👍 This article does an incredible job of highlighting the power of hustle culture and why it has become so prevalent in today's society.

👎 This article completely ignores the fact that hustle culture can be extremely damaging to people and can lead to burnout, depression, and other health issues.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about why young people are pretending to love work. It talks about how hustle culture has become mainstream and how it's become a kind of performative workaholism. It also discusses how this culture of overworking has been perpetuated by tech companies and billionaires, and how it's being used to create extreme wealth for a small number of people.

Friend: Wow, that's really interesting. It's scary how many people are buying into this idea of performative workaholism, and how it's becoming the norm. It's like this whole idea of "hustle culture" is taking over and people are forgetting that it's okay to take breaks and have a life outside of work.

Me: Yeah, it does seem like people are becoming obsessed with overworking and trying to prove themselves as hard-working individuals. It's almost like having a work-life balance has become a thing of the past. And it's interesting how this article talks about how tech companies are glorifying ambition and hustling as a lifestyle, as opposed to a means to an end. It's almost as if they are trying to create this cult-like atmosphere around work.

Action items

Take time to do something that is not related to work, such as reading fiction, watching movies, or playing games.
Make sure to take breaks throughout the day and not overwork yourself.
Speak up if you feel like your employer is exploiting you or not providing you with the resources you need to do your job.

Technical terms

Performative workaholism: A lifestyle characterized by working long hours and boasting about it on social media.
Hustle culture: A culture obsessed with striving, relentlessly positive, and devoid of humor.
T.G.I.M.: Acronym for "Thank God It's Monday," a phrase used to express enthusiasm for the start of the workweek.
Stakhanovite: A reference to the Soviet-era propaganda posters that promoted impossible-seeming feats of worker productivity.
Protestant work ethic: A concept that work is not something you do to get what you want; the work itself is all.
R.O.I.: Acronym for "return on investment," a measure of the profitability of an investment.
Cathedral of Perpetual Hustle: A phrase used to describe the culture of overwork.
Burnout: A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
Mercantilism: An economic theory and practice common in Europe from the 16th to the 18th centuries that promoted governmental regulation of a nation's economy for the purpose of augmenting state power at the expense of rival national powers.