Careerism, the Great Resignation, and Burnout

The Great Resignation is leading to over 9 million US jobs unfilled. People are opting out of the workforce right now for a host of reasons- money, unsustainable workloads, pandemic fears- and others are opting out of the very idea of a career. Luke and Gomer chat about the reality of work/life balance when the whole economy is built upon workaholism-as-virtue.

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• Morning Brew — Get the daily email that makes reading the news actually enjoyable. Stay informed and entertained, for free.
• What If People Don’t Want 'A Career?' - by Charlie Warzel — ‘Careerist’ has long been a dirty word in the working world — usually it’s meant to signify a cynical, ladder climbing mentality. A careerist isn’t a team player. They care more about the job title and advancement than the work. The current brand of career skepticism I’m talking about is different, more absolute. It’s not a rejection of how somebody navigates the game, it’s a rejection of the game itself. The idea isn’t limited to a specific age group, but the best articulation of it comes from younger Millennials and working age Gen Zers. Many of them are fed up with their jobs and they’re quitting in droves. Even those with jobs are reevaluating their options.
• I no longer aspire to have a career. - YouTube — it's time to rethink this whole thing.
• I was offered a retention "bonus" today... : antiwork — I've been with this company for 2.5 years. Only ever got a raise once, and it was pathetic - we never had the cash for good raises. But somehow we have the cash for the 7 shirts, backpack, coffee mug, winter coat, and fall jacket that I now have with the company name on them.
• Laborem Exercens (14 September 1981) | John Paul II — In this context it should be emphasized that, on a more general level, the whole labour process must be organized and adapted in such a way as to respect the requirements of the person and his or her forms of life, above all life in the home, taking into account the individual's age and sex. It is a fact that in many societies women work in nearly every sector of life. But it is fitting that they should be able to fulfil their tasks in accordance with their own nature, without being discriminated against and without being excluded from jobs for which they are capable, but also without lack of respect for their family aspirations and for their specific role in contributing, together with men, to the good of society. The true advancement of women requires that labour should be structured in such a way that women do not have to pay for their advancement by abandoning what is specific to them and at the expense of the family, in which women as mothers have an irreplaceable role.
• Catechism of the Catholic Church - IntraText — 2424 A theory that makes profit the exclusive norm and ultimate end of economic activity is morally unacceptable. the disordered desire for money cannot but produce perverse effects. It is one of the causes of the many conflicts which disturb the social order.203 A system that "subordinates the basic rights of individuals and of groups to the collective organization of production" is contrary to human dignity.204 Every practice that reduces persons to nothing more than a means of profit enslaves man, leads to idolizing money, and contributes to the spread of atheism. "You cannot serve God and mammon."205
• Gratutius Simpsons Slip
• "You Can SHOVE YOUR JOB!!” Why Are MILLIONS Quitting Work?! - YouTube — One in four people have quit their jobs this year, including 4.3 million in October alone. Why is this happening?
• #thegreatresignation - YouTube — #thegreatresignation
• The Great Resignation: Why U.S. Workers Are Burned Out and Quitting | Amanpour and Company - YouTube — As the pandemic eases in some parts of the world, we’re seeing the so-called “great resignation:” 20 million people in the U.S. have quit their jobs since April, according to federal statistics. Jennifer Moss explains this phenomenon in her new book "The Burnout Epidemic," and speaks with Michel Martin about why this is a cultural, rather than an individual, problem.
• Resisting Impossible Career Choices: My Family’s Move to the Farm - Public Discourse — Rory Groves argues in his 2020 book, Durable Trades, that we should secure careers that will see us through from entry to retirement while supporting—rather than opposing—the relational and economic development of our families and communities. In my family’s case, farming was a way to enjoy the benefits of a durable trade while making up the gap between a single income and a double income.