How ‘Floating Duck Syndrome’ Explains Why We Work Ourselves to Death
And why burnout is now a global epidemic
There are roughly two dozen ducks in the pond next to my house.
Last year, there were only two, but I guess news travels fast in the duck world, and this year, they decided this was the perfect place for them to form a small duck community.
I’m not complaining, though. Every time I leave my house and pass the pond, I like to stop for a couple of minutes to observe them gliding smoothly across the greenish-blue water and imagine how nice it (probably) is to be one. On the outside, ducks are a picture of tranquillity and poise.
But beneath the surface, the duck’s feet paddle, often furiously, to stay afloat. We just don’t see it. Some species can even travel at speeds of up to 20 miles (32 kilometres) per hour in short bursts. (The fastest human sprinting speed is 27.8 miles per hour, in case you were wondering.)
This contrast of apparent ease and concealed effort also forms the basis of a psychological phenomenon dubbed ‘floating duck syndrome.’ First coined at Stanford University, it described students’ tendency to mask their struggles to cope in a highly competitive environment behind a veneer of effortless proficiency and composure. But I think it can also…
