The Perils of an Achievement Culture

But over the past few years pandemic soul-searching and burnout have caused many people to consider scaling back. Some young people in China are opting out of 9-9-6 in a movement called “lying flat.” In Western cultures we have “quiet quitting” and “lazy girl jobs” along with the rise of the wellness movement. Of course, as Thakor writes, it’s a privilege to be able to downshift at work and still earn a living. But she notes that only 28% of self-diagnosed workaholics or overachievers toil out of financial necessity. For the rest, it’s important to understand what else is fueling the never-ending quest for more success.