Human Beings’ Transformation to Eternal Slavery
In a fast paced world full of 6am coffee, work hour traffic, and the race to get our days started to fulfill our daily responsibilities and commitments, there is a major aspect of neglect and injustice we serve ourselves. You may ask; how can we possibly be doing ourselves injustice with such high levels of productivity? The answer is quite simple. We live in a world that overly romanticizes a fast paced lifestyle, where our vision of a successful life revolves around the idea of perpetual work outsource. This is what we identify as success in today’s world; the hustle lifestyle, the girlboss, the grind.The very moment we step out of this lifestyle, we immediately view not only ourselves, but others as slothful, unmotivated individuals lacking ambition. Our minds have been altered and reprogrammed to go into panic and feel physical withdrawal the second we step away from work. Some overly detached individuals may even identify the human need to step away from this hustle and bustle as “no one wants to work these days”, leaving them feeling more superior than others. The second we take a step away from this robotic, unhuman lifestyle we’re hit with a wave of anxiety with the voices in our head telling us how far we’re falling behind schedule. If not the voices in our head, then we will definitely have Miss Kim Kardashian telling us to “get your ass up and work.”
Our world has been redesigned in a way where human beings as a species have been conditioned to live their lives outside of their true purpose. For those who disagree, riddle me this; do you truly believe your purpose in life is to spend most of your waking hours as a corporate slave, working away from people and activities that bring you joy, harmony and inner peace? Living a life that doesn't serve a purpose in bettering our society in some aspect? Through no fault of our own, we no longer live in a world where we work to live but must wake up everyday for the purpose of working. We have transformed into robots of eternal slavery to big corporations who at the end of the day take our efforts and hard earned money to fund causes against our moral agendas. So, why do we still continue to contribute to a life that separates us from our true purpose and may distort our moral agendas? Let’s take a closer look.
Magnified core purposes of working 40+ hours a week (give or take):
Maslow's Hierarchy
Physiological needs: Air, food, water, shelter, sleep, clothing, reproduction
Safety needs: Personal security, resources, health, property
Love and belonging: Friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection
Esteem: Respect, self esteem, status, recognition, strength, freedom
Self-actualization: Desire to become the most one can
With the unfortunate state of our global economy, it is merely impossible to fulfill these core purposes without sacrificing a significant portion of our lives to our jobs. If you are fortunate enough, your job entails what you would consider living a purposeful life – however that is not the case for the majority of the human population. The vast majority of us are prisoners of unmeaningful corporations, accepting maltreatment and exploitation in our workplaces to fulfill our rightful needs. This then results in living outside our means to treat ourselves for our hard work and dedication, putting us in a vicious cycle of needing to earn more in order to satisfy our desires. So the question is, what is the solution here?
Take a look at stoicism. Stoicism involves self-mastery, perseverance, and wisdom, spoken and displayed best by a Roman emperor; Marcus Aurelius, a former slave and influential lecturer; Epictetus, and a famous playwright and political adviser; Seneca. Stated simply, this school of philosophy teaches us the art of living in all aspects of life and is very much relevant in our topic today. One of many things stoicism teaches us is prioritizing our desires and cultivating interests below our financial needs. In a world of social media and influencers, we have fallen victim to severe over-consumption, causing an unnatural dire need to fit in our fast paced world where the next best thing marketed to better our quality of life changes in an expeditious manner. Taking a closer look however, we realize its deteriorating effects on our quality of life. Lets break it down:
Overconsumption: The downfall to quality of life (simplified)
Over consumption → clutter → over stimulation → anxiety → overthinking → complexity created problems → more consumption to solve problem
Seneca, one of the most well known philosophers of time expressed this is one of his many letters. He highlighted the heavy cost of overconsumption, both financially and mentally. We must take a moment to analyze how much our possessions are costing us, and what those possessions are actually worth. Are they worth the clutter in our homes? The mental burden? Our mental sanity? The endless hours of work resulting in sacrificing the limited time we have with our loved ones? Once we identify what our possessions are truly worth, we gain the ability to then identify our true needs. As Ryan Holiday, the author of The Daily Stoic stated, we might be surprised by the answer and how much we have been paying without even knowing it.
How to combat the vicious cycle:
The toxic mantra of our modern lives is “we can have it all”. This greed negatively impacts us in various aspects, but narrowed into large categories it affects us physically, psychologically, and emotionally. We must redirect our thought patterns to ask ourselves the following questions prior to chasing the next thing we wish to consume and indulge in:
Why do i need this thing? If I don’t get it, how will it affect me? Can I survive without it?
Keeping these core questions in mind prior to consumption of any material, media, relationship or conversation will help identify how much it’s consumption will truly cost you. From there, you have the free will and control to choose whether or not it is worth a spot in your headspace and home. Learn the value of your space, both physically and energetically and relieve yourself from any unnecessary consumption deteriorating your quality of life.
With that, it is crucial to recognize the hidden toll that the relentless pursuit of a fast-paced lifestyle takes on our well-being. The societal pressure to conform to the hustle culture and the constant glorification of perpetual work can lead us to neglect the fundamental aspects of a balanced and fulfilling life. As we strive for success, it is essential to redefine our understanding of achievement and acknowledge the importance of rest, self-care, and moments of reprieve. True success should not be measured solely by the quantity of work we produce but also by the quality of life we lead. It is time to break free from the chains of the hustle narrative and embrace a more stoic approach that values both professional accomplishments and personal well-being.
Let us strive for a world where success is not synonymous with overexertion, but rather a harmonious blend of ambition, self-care, and genuine fulfillment. Be sure to continue to conversation with our Capsule community on social media where we practice a stoic way of living and progressive thinking.
See you there!