Rant

 The Lie of Productivity and the Theft of Life

Worth is not found in productivity. That idea is a lie—one told so often that it has become internalized as truth. In modern society, we have accepted this lie so fully that our identities are now tied to our jobs. Work-life balance has become so distorted that many people no longer work to live; they live to work.

The consequences of this mindset have been devastating. Entire generations have grown up in households where parents were rarely home, not out of neglect, but because long hours and multiple jobs were necessary just to survive. We rarely discuss the emotional, psychological, and social damage caused by this reality, yet it is everywhere.

This mentality didn’t arise by accident. Capitalism demands it. The system requires workers who are exhausted, desperate, and dependent. People are forced to work overtime or juggle two or more jobs—not to improve their quality of life, but simply to afford rent and bills. Meanwhile, wages stagnate, workplaces remain intentionally understaffed, and profits climb ever higher.

When people are told to “just get a better job,” it ignores a critical truth: higher-paying or higher-status jobs often come with even greater demands on time and energy. High-demand jobs demand not just labor, but constant availability. Personal time slowly disappears until it barely exists at all.

Workers are constantly told that personal lives should never interfere with work. Yet employers have no problem allowing work to consume personal lives. This imbalance exists because companies do not value workers as people. And they never will—as long as workers collectively accept exploitation as normal.

People endure this treatment because they are taught that this is just how life works. That adulthood means exhaustion. That misery is maturity.

last year I interviewed for a full-time job that offered no vacation time—none. The expectation was clear: they wanted ownership of my life for 52 weeks a year without pause. That alone should disqualify any employer. Yet shockingly, this isn’t even the worst example.

Over the years, I’ve worked alongside people who barely used their vacation time at all. These same people complained constantly about never seeing family or falling behind in life. The connection was obvious: when work consumes everything, nothing else survives.

Control, Compliance, and the Future We’re Headed Toward

Some like to argue that other countries have it better. That is only partially true. While some nations offer stronger protections, global worker burnout is widespread. Politicians pretend to be baffled by this phenomenon while workers are screaming the answer: we are overworked, underpaid, and treated as disposable.

The expectation of constant productivity is relentless. In retail, the phrase “if you have time to lean, you have time to clean” perfectly captures this mentality. Any moment of rest is treated as laziness. If management sees you pause—even to breathe—they respond by piling on more work. Older generations often reinforce this thinking, mistaking rest for weakness and ignoring the reality that there is such a thing as too much work.

Some people believe political reform alone will fix this. That belief ignores how deeply wealth influences policy. Many still cling to the idea that politicians know best and act in the public’s interest. The truth is harsher: those in power care far more about donors and profit than whether working people can truly live. This is not a partisan issue. It spans both major parties.

One of the most disturbing aspects of modern work culture is how willingly people surrender bodily autonomy. Jobs that dictate hair color, facial hair, tattoos, piercings, or clothing—outside of legitimate health and safety concerns—are exercising control far beyond what employment should allow. These rules exist not for productivity, but for dominance.

Retail horror stories illustrate this perfectly. Employees are required to wear only the store’s clothing—clothing they often can’t afford due to low wages. Some jobs demand employees purchase newer cars because their current vehicle doesn’t “fit the company image.” If an employer requires something as a condition of employment, then the employer should provide it—period.

Older generations often accepted this level of control as a normal part of being a “working adult.” I reject that outright. It is not normal—it is a slow march toward total submission to employers.

When people compare modern work culture to slavery, critics argue the comparison is insulting or inaccurate. After all, workers are paid wages and are “free” to leave. But that freedom exists only because of labor laws. Without those protections, many employers would gladly pay nothing and exert far greater control.

And even the idea that workers can freely leave isn’t as solid as people think.

In 2022, a Wisconsin hospital attempted to sue to prevent its employees from leaving for another hospital that offered better pay, benefits, and work-life balance. The employer claimed the workers were too “essential” to lose. The hypocrisy is staggering—if they were that essential, why weren’t they treated better to begin with?

Thankfully, a judge dismissed the case. But imagine if they hadn’t. Imagine the precedent that would have set.

This is not an isolated incident—it is a warning.

So take a hard look at your own work-life balance. Ask yourself who truly benefits from your exhaustion. On the sidebar is a book titled Laziness Does Not Exist. I strongly recommend reading it. It dismantles the myth that productivity equals worth and exposes how deeply that lie has been weaponized against us.

This system is not broken. It is working exactly as intended. The question is how much longer we are willing to accept it.