Rise, Grind, & Die
Kim Kardashian famously says, "It seems like nobody wants to work these days;" However, I would argue the opposite. It seems like everyone wants to work too much these days.
As many of my friends head into their post-grad life, it has left me anxious about work-life balance. Hard work has always been a core value, instilled into the very crust of America; however, recently, the ''grind'' or working excessively hard has become the ''norm.'' College students are ready to work inhumane hours for the sake of having a job. It makes someone wonder: how much is our time worth to us?
Growing up in America, students are pulled into the dichotomy of money being nothing and everything; however, almost everyone agrees that the world runs on money. In light of JP Morgan capping their junior analysts at eighty hours a week and attending panels where the advice is to work from nine to nine, it has left me wondering if work-life balance is just a hoax? Hustle culture was seemingly born alongside America; in ""The Way to Wealth"" by Benjamin Franklin, he seemingly spews very similar advice to today's Instagram hustlers: ""Women and wine, game, and deceit, Make the wealth small, and the wants great."" The inextricable need for financial success is seemingly baked into America's core; however, with overworking outcries, one has to wonder if, one day, America itself will burn out.Â
During my internship last summer, my mentor recommended the book I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi. I joked that it sounded ridiculously gimmick, but he insisted that I give it a chance and said he wished he could have read it when he was twenty years ago (I actually did really enjoy the book and now recommend it to my friends who make the same comments I did). One of the main elements of the book is asking the reader to imagine what being ''rich'' means to them. Sethi makes the point that not everyone actually needs or wants to make millions of dollars a year and that through wise budgeting and investing, people will be able to achieve their own version of ''richness.''Â
The idea that one just has to get a reasonably paying job and budget smartly is not popular on social media. Following the layoffs from COVID-19, the idea of financial freedom has become commodified and sold by Instagram gurus during the past four years. Through scam courses, these gurus can project a life of luxury when, in reality, they are frauds who actually made their money selling courses (not doing the work they preach in the courses. The reason these people have nothing to sell at all is because of the unhealthy work environment in America.
The other side of the coin is influencers who preach success through their total isolation from others. They say that to be successful, one does not just have to work hard but also go to the gym and cut out most relationships. By framing it as "protecting your peace," they lead people to believe that life is about constant self-analysis and improvement. Their content thrives because it inherently encourages discontent within people, making them keep coming back to the page to find contentment.Â
Though I believe it is important to improve yourself and to work hard, it is also entirely true that you should enjoy life. Enjoying life means being with people you love, doing things you love, and allowing yourself to live a well-rounded life. It is unhealthy to never have a sweet treat on someone's birthday or take a day off from work. Working hard and living joyfully are not mutually exclusive; believing they are is just more profitable.