hustle culture and capitalism

Required fields *. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, hustle comes from the Dutch word "husselen," meaning "to shake or toss." A hustler referred to con artists, those who commit violent crimes or ruthless businessmen and, eventually, sex workers. In the end, capitalism values profit over the environment, animals, human lives, and more. It is important to recognize that if you are at a place where you can consider rest as a revolution, you are privileged enough be able to think of your survival beyond food, clothing, shelter, and safety. Hustle culture does the complete opposite, it has promoted a negative obsession with productivity and pushes the idea that the amount of labor we can produce equates to our purpose as human beings. Someday I'm getting on that train." Weve seen the term being used in popular culture such as rap music in the 1990s and 2000s with songs such as Im a Hustla by Cassidy and Hustle Hard by Ace Hood. Capitalism is the economic system at play here in the United States and numerous other countries. That proved impossible, just as it proved impossible to stop the bulldozing of the Empress Market in Karachi. Hustle culture is rooted in white supremacy and it must end. Not unlike the trendy practice in some circles of vapingwhich has been linked to certain lung diseases and the damaging of blood vesselsif youre a hustle culture member, studies show that youre cutting your career short, slowly destroying your mental and physical health, and harming your relationships. For Lin, freedom and a life outside of work will always remain a dream, a wish that keeps her going. Even the cucumbers in WeWorks water coolers have an agenda. But the individualism that tells us that societal revolution lies in our own individual bettering alone - even if it is our emotional or spiritual bettering - is also a product of capitalism. Capitalism hates rest. Franklin's common sense musings on work, money, and thrift all resonate with us today because they embody an . The hustle being denigrated today was brutal and should never have been necessary and should never have been made into an ideal. As Namita notes, Were constantly tired, angry and worried about not earning enough money. In the past few years, the term hustle has been co-opted to describe a lucrative project or initiative that someone undertakes outside of their 9-to-5 job. Youre honouring your body. It is also time we address the toxicity behind modern hustle culture, capitalism, and the grind in relation to mental health. Whether that be due to the stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, election . Part time workers will train better each other overtime, and become smarter. The hustle culture was just a lie all along.. At one point in the movie, we see her almost forget her real name, a metaphor for losing her sense of self, her identity, as she delves deeper into the work culture. But for more than a century before that, hustle has been tied up in both stereotypes and realities of what it means to work as a black person. What we often fail to recognize, though, is that its a system regulated by a few, for a few. Despite all that, the story gives us hope. Rest is crucial. Hustle culture in itself is dangerous and toxic. On top of this, the layer of racism and social inequality being displayed is appalling and needs to be made aware. Hustle Culture's Black Roots : Code Switch : NPR I came out of the womb a new cog in the capitalist machine, ready to work and work and work up until the day I died. Griffith visited various WeWork locations in New York where neon signs urge tenants to hustle harder and, as she put it, murals spread the gospel of T.G.I.M. With less work to do each day, I also had more time to prioritize my sleep. But the individualism that tells us that societal revolution lies in our own individual bettering alone - even if it is our emotional or spiritual bettering - is also a product of capitalism. Your degree choice will determine your training, as well as your career options. Where boomers may have looked up to someone who made vast amounts of money and kept shareholders happy, millennials and Gen-Zs are drawn to entrepreneurs who earn big cheques but sound like monks, notes an article on Arr, adding, Corporate influencers profit greatly from creating a folklore or mythology about themselves about their early struggles, the mistakes they made, the wisdom they gained. Workplace Burnout Can Damage Confidence, Relationships for Years. We should celebrate unscripted lives that include spending time with friends . But its also the blood, sweat, tears, persistence and ingenuity of people who loved us. Bryan Robinson, Ph.D., is a Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. To order copies of As Tressie McMillan Cottom wrote for Time magazine, "Everyone is hustling, but everyone cannot hustle the same.". Its easy to work on autopilot. As the novel coronavirus pandemic grips the world, putting the economy in crisis and confining most people to their homes, personal finance pundits insist that now is the time to get a side hustle. The pandemic has not only exposed the weaknesses of capitalism, but it has also broken down the very economic system we rely on. Entrepreneurs, like the founder of 1-800-GOT-JUNK, are speaking out against "performative workaholism." If you liked this newsletter and want to support my work, please consider subscribing here: Ijeoma Oluo: Behind the Book is a reader-supported publication. I myself have fallen victim to this, working because I feel like thats what I should be doing and feeling guilty when I dont work because apparently thats what Im supposed to be doing, or else I apparently am not cut out for what I do in 2020. People should not have to work themselves to dust for money nor should they be encouraged to do so. Hustle culture, capitalism, and when's the last time you slept? No vacations. This copy is for your personal non-commercial use only. This means that employees in these industries in this specific case, the tech industry would not be able to escape this unhealthy work environment by switching to a different company because all companies exhibit the same work environment. Honeymoon, bargaining, separation: Phases in the anorexic love affair. In short, he concluded, "colored men have themselves oftenest to blame." This might work for some people but definitely not everyone and dont get me wrong, having a side project or hobby can be a great creative or stress relief outlet but what grind culture fails to realise is that not everything needs to be monetized *cue gasp from the grinding community*. Now, Im realizing they probably all had Tempur-Pedic mattresses or mattress toppers. After 21 years of this, Im over it. The bathhouse feeds off of the exhaustion and overworking of its employees. What does liberation look like through rest? So if all of the above is true - and it is - why is this essay titled as such? Maybe we too can someday hold on to our identity, listen to our inner child, and get out of the rat race that is work. In 2003, Jay Z invoked the idea that a hustler can be his own boss: "I'm a hustler homie / you a customer, cronie. To order Yes, we must care for ourselves in a world that tells us that it is wrong to do so. Many of whom lack insurance coverage, use public transportation and live in multi-generational households, further putting themselves and their families at risk of COVID-19. Theres nothing wrong with doing that if that is truly what an individual wants, the issue is in the pressure and shame in not being like that. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/01/opinion/burnout-hustle-culture-gentrification-work.html. Wow. This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. DoorDash, a food delivery service, claims, "As a dasher, you can be your own boss." Capitalism Sucks, But Don't Be Shamed For Your Hustle A lot of people are not. Of course newspapers are dying. Three pieces stayed with me: Erin Griffiths vivid journey into #ThankGodItsMonday workaholic culture; Derek M. Normans elegiac lament for the demise of the Half King, killed by soaring rents beside the High Line on Manhattans West Side, that monument to gentrification; and Meher Ahmads fascinating dispatch on the bulldozing of Karachi. As most of the world has turned to work online and from home, it is not difficult to get sucked into constantly working, most of the time its even unconscious. rights reserved. The world fed me capitalism and hustle culture and I completely ate it up. We need the fundamental recognition of our humanity that says that we deserve to recharge and recover, that we deserve care. His tweet said, If there were 25 hours a day, Id still want to work 26 hours. The fact that so many of us have had to hustle to survive sucks. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram. They may actually believe hustle culture is the road to happiness rather than a clever ploy to extract more work. Hustle culture can make us harm and exploit each other. Evidently, buying into the promotion of a culture as toxic as lov[ing] the grind is yet another instance of misplaced trust by placing it on influencers rather than health experts. It is important that we work collectively, as families and communities, to find sustainable ways for essential and front-line workers to rest. Do you hit the ground running as soon as your feet touch the morning floor, checking electronic devices, slurping coffee, and stuffing a Danish in your mouth as you bolt out the door with a million ideas exploding in your head? And while some are calling for an end to productivity culture during the pandemic, it's not that simple for low-wage workers, who often don't have paid time off or the option to work from home to pay the bills. And thats precisely why the trend of promoting hustle culture is dangerous especially since its designed to appeal to our insecurity-riddled existence, more so now than ever before. When the hustle culture drives you, you unwittingly relinquish your personal power and become a slave to internal and external pressures such as deadlines, work demands, or pleasing friends and loved ones. Discussing past traumas is vital to recovery. Tempur-Pedic gifted me a mattress topper that has changed my life. Rest is only revolutionary when we all can rest. And Im here for it. Part time workers will also waste less consume less and recycle better. According to Merriam Webster , capitalism is "an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined . Spirited Away follows the adventures of young Chihiro, who is forced to work at a mysterious bathhouse for spirits for the safe return of her parents, who have been transformed into pigs by the bathhouse's villainous ruler, Yubaba. People have quite literally worked themselves to death, and COVID-19 has only exacerbated these death rates in marginalized communities. Anchored in the present moment, an inner barometer guides your life in a peaceful observing awareness of everything you do. We begin to believe that depriving our bodies of rest and proper care in order to work more, we can become worthy. But keep the champagne on ice it turns out it's a job nobody wants: dealing with the admin that follows . The lure of gold encourages a competitive environment among the bathhouse workers, as they pour over each other in an attempt to please a customer called No Face, who rewards them by showering them in gold coins. Hustle culture reinforces classism, undermines collective care and responsibility, and ties us to white supremacist ideals. In sum, capitalism consists of five essentials: There are a lot of people doing very important work in reconnecting us to ourselves, and reminding us that we are deserving of care. However, Chihiro is not fooled. Practice Improves the Potential for Future Plasticity, Neuroscientists Discover How to Keep Us From Freaking Out, The Danger of Self-Protection in Relationships. Now, we have realised that is simply impossible in the current economy All the jobs are underpaid; we are stretching ourselves thin with side hustles just to cover rent., But what happens when we chase a lie? By implying that the hustle functions within a meritocratic system, companies are able to fashion low wage, inconsistent work with minimal benefits as freedom and self-reliance. But thats the thing with hustle culture, it is just capitalism re-branded the ultimate goal is still to make as much money as you can with alternative means outside of a 95 job, despite how toxic it could be. Large white corporations have appropriated hustle culture in order to make money and hustle culture has since been a part of mainstream society. Furthermore, capitalism must be destroyed. on Twitter: "The golems who Admit it. Capitalism seeks to take us away from the collective care that can ensure our ability to survive and thrive outside of capitalist systems. The same paper highlights how people of color are more likely to be presented with misinformation online, which leads to the possibility of missing viable and promising opportunities to climb up the economic ladder. Why Do Women Remember More Dreams Than Men Do? Hustle culture says it's fashionable to work yourself to deathor at least look like you are. Dont worry if you feel dragged. Wow. Prioritizing work as your major contribution to society, so to avoid guilt and shame of not being good at work is harmful. Guilt-tripping people into thinking there is only one vision of success and a certain way to get to the top is destructive. Before anything, purely making it through 2020 is something to be proud of. And you may even die at an earlier age than your cohorts. It all ties in to hustle culture and it is exhausting when you consider the fallout. I see this notion in the stereotype where people are extremely individualistic and out to get one another in big cities, where the community is often scarce while at the same time much needed in a society. The economy depended on essential workers to keep the world afloat, making it evident that hustling is not a choice for them. On the surface, capitalism seems like an effective model and is even seen as liberating, as people have the chance to control their own properties and have ownership. The defenses we use in love can also work against us. It's really no wonder so many of us struggle to let go of hustle culture, even once we're aware of its toxicity, given its deep-seated roots: here in the UK, the Thatcherite idea that there's "no such thing" as society has engendered the myth of meritocracy. The pursuit of happiness does not equal the embrace of 80-hour weeks. With the act of Chihiro finally breaking the curse put on her parents and retaining her sense of self by regaining her real name from Yubaba, Studio Ghibli attempts to give viewers a glimpse into what hope could look like. The work itselfselling drugs, working long hours, taking on multiple side-gigswas not glamorous. This past year, I lightened up my load at school by letting go of some extracurriculars and was able to spend way more time decompressing and enjoying quality time with friends. Take some time. As a result, these people are more likely to venture on risky businesses and adorn the toxic hustle work culture. And heres our email: letters@nytimes.com. Instead, you hold yourself to an impossibly high standard and define your worth by your achievements and hard work. As evidently shown, the disproportionate opportunities being displayed to certain groups of people makes one wonder if capitalist societies are rooting for the underdogs or reinforcing the status quo. It does not promote healthy work boundaries. It does not come as a surprise to me that people are starting to give up on hustle culture and instead are choosing to live life more relaxingly. The same people often propose the hypothetical scenario of either taking $500,000 or having a dinner with Jay-Z, Elon Musk (take your pick), choosing the latter for his knowledge and how that could make you a millionaire in the long run. It seeks to make us eager participants in hyper-capitalism. She can only lament over her unfulfilled future plans and dreams "I've got to get out of here. Its that time of the year when posts about how if this year didnt bring out the hustle in you then you arent made for success. You grow so accustomed to being on autopilot that youre not attuned to your surroundings or yourself. It is the pursuit of life, liberty, and happinessso long as you #WerkWerkWerk. Starting a "gr8nola" company is a hustle. It feels like people have to do the absolute most just to survive, and this is not an ideal society to be living in. Sometimes early warnings of potential marital friction are there all along, in the form of personality conflicts or day-to-day incompatibility. You come from a centered, calm place that puts you in charge of your busy mind so you dont succumb to external or internal pressures. The thought of having to go above and beyond with everything just to stay afloat seems exhausting. Greed and capitalism are pretty clearly some of the prominent themes of the movie. Im done acting like I dont need sleep to function. In his 1965 autobiography, Malcolm X wrote, "everyone in Harlem needed some kind of hustle to survive." A year later, the paper profiled Little Arthur White, a 12-year-old "newsy" who was "encouraged to hustle and work in early age. But the individualism that tells us that societal revolution lies in our own individual bettering alone - even if it is our emotional or spiritual bettering - is also a product of capitalism. I had to read this several times to truly absorb it because it was exactly what I was doing, and Id never heard anyone say it was problematic. Your hustle is harming you and others. Hustle Culture: a Capitalistic fad or the real deal? - Drishti IAS As Dr. Ruksheda observed, one of the reasons behind the culture of hustling gaining so much momentum, is the economic insecurity we find ourselves enveloped in. Hustle culture sucks. Woe Is Me! In the 1990s and early 2000s, black rappers started to fold the idea of hustling into their lyrics. It is also important for us to not look for answers in the very systems that have caused these issues. The idea of protecting your peace in the way currently being pushed on social media is a harmful trend that only further encourages the isolation and competition that capitalism already facilitates through values of individualism and the myth of hustle culture. Hustle culture turns this brutal exploitation into an ideal. Five daily minutes in which you still your busy mind and center on the quiet places inside sets the compass of your heart so you can be more drawn, even in times of upheaval. Hustle culture is dangerous in the sense that it praises overworking and prioritizing work overall which results in shaming (both intentional and unintentional) people who dont want to work all the time for monetary success. Studies also show that a slower and calmer approach to job tasks results in more productivity, a higher quality product, and greater success in the long run. You may not realize it, but there are many problems with sleeping too much. Ive always been jealous of people who could simply doze off to sleep. Studies show that unplugging from the rat race boosts your productivity, creativity, and problem-solving abilities. Rest is revolution. This year has been incredibly emotionally taxing for everyone. Are you someone who sets short deadlines, overloads yourself with more than is humanly possible, and rushes at lightning speed moaning about the shortage of time? The hustle being denigrated today put the lights back on when the electric was cut due to nonpayment. All I had to do was throw it on top of the mattress I already have and enjoy my three inch memory foam cushion. It didn't mean black people were buying into the racist idea that they weren't working hard enoughbut that some held onto hope that by "working twice as hard" they might be able to get by, or even in some cases get ahead. At the heart of homogenization lies emptiness. Hustle culture has been around for a while, some could even argue since mainstream and modern capitalism have come into the picture, but it has unarguably been heightened during this pandemic. Why are we taught by others around us that in order to survive and live a decent life we must push our bodies to the limit working as many jobs and hours as possible? Time and time again our governments have failed us and as long as we live in a world of capitalistic society, governments and systems will continue to fail us. Instead of telling people to just work harder, wake up earlier start another side hustle, or just start a business, perhaps we need to turn the conversation and ask why in order to succeed we must work ourselves to death in a hyper capitalistic society? I hope with the start of 2021 we find ways to end hustle culture and get the rest we deserve. In his 2005 song "I'm a Hustla", Cassidy raps, "I can sell Raid to a bug / I'm a hustler, I can sell salt to a slug." As you frantically and mindlessly toil on a projectconcerned the boss wont like the finished product or that you wont meet the deadlineyoure out of your present mind, stuck in future worries or past regrets. The hustle being denigrated today was brutal and should never have been necessary and should never have been made into an ideal. Knowing your values can guide your actions and give you inner peace. As long as the mass capitalist exploitation of segments like big business, the prison industrial complex, big agriculture, and the service industry exists, there is no amount of rest that will be able to meet the needs of workers in those industries. There is a crack in everything, thats how the light gets in, wrote Leonard Cohen. Im completely swamped with assignments., Ugh, Im so tired today I only got five hours of sleep.. Star Newspapers Limited and/or its licensors. The belief that the time you work determines your value as a person and in society is a capitalist ideology. In this view, hustle is an equal-opportunity venture, wherein hard work is the only thing that. Capitalism gives the delusional idea that if you work hard enough, you will be able to get rich and move up in society. Naomi Osaka Quitting French Open Sets an Example to Prioritize Mental Health at Work. The 'Rise and Grind' of Hustle Culture | Psychology Today The desire to find solutions to systemic exploitation that begin and end with how that exploitation impacts us as individuals will allow those systems to continue to exploit those who do not have the privilege of such autonomy unchecked - with the added bonus of blaming those trapped within those systems of exploitation for not embarking on their own personal revolutions themselves. Capitalism seeks to take us away from the. It tells us that our humanity is measured, not in how we care for each other, but in the belongings that our hustle can accumulate. Youre attuned to yourself and your surroundings in a calm, nonjudgmental way and focus on whats happening right now. In this kind of world, being well rested is a rebellion against hustle culture. Burnout becomes the norm. Our own individual care is important. Furthermore, a dissertation paper suggests that the hustle ethic presents itself differently among races, gender, and economic classes. Before I dive into all this, though, lets backtrack and unpack this. She is a lawyer by education, a poet by accident, a painter by shaukh, and autistic by birth. Her Campus may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. And if just working hard was really the silver bullet to all of this, logically it would follow that hardly anyone in capitalistic societies should be in poverty or living pay check to pay check but we all know thats not how the world works. This framing of hustle would "explicitly exalt the daily rise-and-grind mentality black menneed to possess in order to survive and thrive," Spence notes in his book. To Weber, Franklin was the one who more than any of them personified this mentality. This new grind culture pressures people into relating their value and worth with how much they can work to make the most money. Hustling, however, is not the way out. What Should I Do?. There's Lingua Franca, a clothing company that sells sweaters with EVERYDAY I'M HUSTLIN or ORIGINAL GANGSTA embroidered on them for hundreds of dollars. The hustle being denigrated today got us the cable television that brought our favorite music videos to our homes, the dresses we wore to prom, the few presents under our Christmas tree. "They need to complement [their job] with a second or a third job.". The need to hustle and grind can also be seen in political spaces, where people such as former first lady Michelle Obama have acknowledged and advanced that Black people need to work twice as good to get half as far.. You focus on the opportunity nested in a career obstacle instead of the difficulty. Hidden in the fantastic, escapist narrative of Hayao Miyazaki's Oscar-winning movie Spirited Away, is an allegory about the horrors of capitalism and society's toxic obsession with work. However, the hustle ethic that exists under capitalism has caused people to adorn a habit of constantly working and normalizing unpaid overtime at work in order to stay afloat.
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