Coaching may not benefit those who need it most. Positive thinking and mindset culture can have negative impacts on health and happiness. The legend of John Henry raises questions about the consequences of striving too hard. African Americans in the working class face hardships and health issues. Striving for excellence is correlated with hypertension. Stress reactions and structural inequalities impact health. The self-improvement culture and rugged individualism have negative effects. Educating the public about the physiological costs of striving is essential.
High-effort coping, known as John Henryism, is strongly correlated with health issues like hypertension among black men.
The narrative of individual responsibility and meritocracy ignores the systemic barriers and inequalities faced by marginalized communities striving for success.
Deep dives
The Legend of John Henry: Triumph and Cost
The podcast episode delves into the legend of John Henry, a folktale about a steel-driving man who competes against a machine but ultimately dies from exhaustion. The story holds different interpretations, with some seeing it as a symbol of black triumph over adversity, while others view it as a cautionary tale of the costs of striving too hard. The episode explores the connections between this legend and the concept of John Henryism, a term coined by Dr. Sherman James, which looks at the link between high-effort coping and health issues. Dr. James conducted research that found a strong correlation between high levels of striving and conditions like hypertension among black men. The episode also highlights the impact of weathering, the cumulative toll of chronic stress that marginalized communities face due to systemic inequalities. It addresses the flawed notion of individual responsibility and meritocracy, exposing the challenges that people of color encounter when striving for success in a society structured against them. It calls for a deeper understanding of the physiological costs associated with the American Dream and advocates for policy changes to make upward mobility less burdensome.
The Price of Striving
The podcast explores the notion that striving for success and the American Dream comes at a cost. It shares the findings of Dr. Sherman James, who discovered a strong correlation between high-effort coping, known as John Henryism, and health issues like hypertension among black men. The episode challenges the idea of individual responsibility and meritocracy, highlighting the structural barriers and systemic inequalities that make success more challenging for marginalized communities. It discusses the concept of weathering, the wearing down of health due to chronic stress, and how it disproportionately affects disadvantaged populations. The episode raises questions about the narrative of personal responsibility and offers a call to re-evaluate social and economic policies to reduce the burden on individuals striving for success.
The Impact on Women
The podcast delves into the impact of striving for success on women, particularly women of color. It introduces the concept of weathering, which refers to the health toll taken by marginalized groups facing chronic stress and structural inequalities. The episode features insights from Dr. Arlene Geronimus, who emphasizes the complexity and intersectionality of stressors faced by these women. It challenges the idea that individual mindset and positivity alone can overcome the systemic barriers and demands placed on these women. The episode underlines the need for a deeper understanding of the physiological and psychological costs associated with striving for success in an unequal society.
Rethinking Self-Improvement Narratives
The podcast critically examines self-improvement narratives and how they can be detrimental, particularly for marginalized communities. It highlights the privileged perspective often associated with the notion of picking oneself up by the bootstraps. It explains how these narratives can ignore the larger structural forces, such as racism and sexism, that hinder progress for certain groups. The episode challenges the idea that personal mindset and positive thinking alone can overcome systemic barriers and reveals the importance of social and economic policies to create a more equitable society. It calls for a reevaluation of self-improvement ideologies in light of the physiological and psychological costs they can impose on individuals.
Who does coaching work least well for? Turns out it’s the exact people who could benefit most from it, according to the industry. Dr. Sherman James and Dr. Arline Geronimus discuss the downsides of positive thinking, bootstrapping, and mindset culture. For some people, striving has negative impacts on health and happiness.
