The Burnout Society.

“The capitalist economy absolutizes survival. It is not concerned with the good life.”

I am neither an expert in business nor on the world’s economic status. Still, from the economics class I took in my senior year of high school, I learned that capitalism isn’t exactly the best. Even from what I have seen throughout the years and on a daily basis, I have noticed that capitalism is all about competition — competition to achieve the good life. For example, inflation causes high prices, affecting low income families, private companies create monopolies and, at the same time, negatively impact the environment. In one of the excerpts from The Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han, he suggests that this burnout is a consequence of a culture prioritizing performance over well-being. Where individuals constantly strive to meet societal expectations and achieve ever-higher goals. As a result, constant competition and self-exploitation have led to a widespread sense of exhaustion and disillusionment. Mental health has been affected due to the notion of having to be successful in order to obtain the good life, which Han emphasizes the importance of freedom and human connection. Advocating for a more balanced and humane approach to success.