Hustle Culture and Anti-Work are 2 opposite thought trends, in the USA.
Hustle Culture
The idea of Hustle Culture is one that blows up the lines between life and work. It’s all about outworking the competition, and eventually there is a grand payoff. This payoff could be money, stock options, or creating a world changing company. But high achievement prevails as the only way to live.
Here is an article that describes some of the reactions to Hustle Culture:
Anti-Work
Anti-Work is the idea that Capitalism is the root cause of many problems, and we should create a society where people don’t have to sell their souls to their jobs, in order to live. A popular subReddit called r/antiwork is a central location for millions of people to denounce work and rant about bosses.
This article goes into some of the history about where these ideas are based… If you faint over the word Socialism or $15 minimum wage, then I suggest either sitting down when reading, or not reading all together. Go for a walk, get some water. Whatever you do, be careful with this article.
But where does this leave us as Christians?
Our identities don’t lay in our jobs alone, but we know there is dignity in working.
Thhis Pope Benedict quote sums up a great perspective on why we work, but not putting our sole identity in on work alone. I want to hear your thoughts, and since I can’t say anything better then B16, I will leave you all with this quote.
“As I have had occasion to say, “work is of fundamental importance to the fulfillment of the human being and to the development of society. Thus, it must always be organized and carried out with full respect for human dignity and must always serve the common good. At the same time, it is indispensable that people not allow themselves to be enslaved by work or to idolize it, claiming to find in it the ultimate and definitive meaning of life.” It is on the day consecrated to God that men and women come to understand the meaning of their lives and also of their work.”
Sacramentum Caritatis (“Apostolic Exhortation on the Eucharist”), Pope Benedict XVI, 2007, #74.
