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Chris Lamar
Few trends capture the cultural zeitgeist of the moment better than quitting quietly. Simply defined, quitting quietly means no longer doing more than is expected of you at work.
Zayed Khan, the young engineer who popularized the term on Tik Tok, said, “You’re still doing your job.” No, your worth as a person is not defined by your labor.”
As a mental health therapist, I can’t help but wonder if quietly quitting smoking points to a deeper, more systemic problem. Study after study shows that Americans are stressed about their jobs — how many hours they work, how they can’t unplug, how little they get paid, how little their employers think they do. Interestingly, research suggests that many other developed countries, especially the Nordic countries, have not addressed these issues.
But it’s very hard for us Americans to recognize that productivity has become unhealthy at all costs. Especially because these values are so deep in our collective consciousness. In fact, we are more likely to end up feeling like “lazy” or her ADHD in our need for balance.
The expectation to produce at any cost creates overwhelming anxiety because it can be relentlessly critical at any moment. Basing your identity and intrinsic worth solely on your productivity is a dangerous game. At worst, it reduces the human experience to a mechanistic, empty pragmatism, devoid of mind and spontaneity. Yet we idealize this behavior in our culture.
On the other hand, the benefits that come from hard work are undeniable. At best, hard work helps us to be self-actualized and support those around us. It stimulates innovation and contributes to the creation of a more just world. But too often conversations about work lack the nuance necessary to discern what is healthy and what is unhealthy. Instead, we never question the value of hard work. In fact, many commentators have likened quiet smoking cessation to a “virus,” and data showed that most engagement with online trends was negative.
Kastaca Bradatan wrote, “At the heart of the American Dream is failure, not success, and a savage fear of it.” This sentiment has been repeated many times in my clinical work. Millennials and Gen Z have learned that hard work doesn’t lead to prosperity. It doesn’t even lead to true recognition or belonging to the workplace. In addition, the realities of climate change are urging us to seriously reassess the growth-compromising economic models that are currently destroying our planet.
Quietly quitting, in my view, is a social symptom that indicates a deeper, deeper existential crisis. The fundamental values that have driven American culture since its inception are being questioned. Every generation challenges the status quo, but I believe our current predicament is unique.
Here is an opportunity in a crisis. It’s time to rethink the basics of American culture. Our climate calls for a different version of economics. Our stress levels ask us to slow down to create a daily rhythm that opens space for fun, creativity, and connection. Taking more time off has been shown to increase productivity. In 2019, Microsoft Japan introduced a four-day workweek to all of his 2,300 employees, resulting in a 40% increase in productivity and a 23% reduction in electricity bills. Organizations around the world are experimenting with this new vision of work and life. It may be time for us to do the same.
Chris Lamar of Massachusetts lives in Boulder.
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