spotted this sign a couple of times in the store. figured i'd finally speak out about it.
a message like this makes me SO passionately uncomfortable, and for so many reasons. i will try to touch on a few.
primarily, because of the type of person who designed it. they work at corporate, make 90K in the “mArKeTeen” department, wanted to impress their boss by being a good little worker bee, and thought they had their finger on the pulse of our nation's young adults. “wErK hAaRd pLeEy hAaRd, tHaYt's wHuT eYe aLwEyz sAy!” this person likely lives in a cul-de-sac somewhere in the midwest, is the parent to an adorable golden doodle, and had the “time of their life” in high school. they will happily answer a slack message at both 6am and 10pm. they are always “on” and proud of their martyrdom (anything that helps the company!) a few of their loves: coffee, magnolia table magazine, and their 10 best friends from college who talk, walk, dress and act exactly like they do.
this person genuinely believes they are going to heaven because they get good yearly reviews, narcs on their coworkers for taking long potty breaks, and indirectly contributes to the wealth of a millionaire.
two words: hustle culture.
three more: “rise and grind.”
(the font also verges on atrocious, and is perfectly appropriate for the tone deaf mantra that it displays.)
guys.
i am so tired of people thinking that goodness is tied to work ethic. HOW am i only a good person if i love to stand in line waiting to suck my bosses wee wee? WHY do we think that the definition of morality is an individual who sacrifices their free time, their passions and ALL of their mental energy for some selfish CEO who wouldn't bat an eye if you had a heart attack right in front of them on company property? WHO really thinks that if you “work really hard” you equal a quality human being in any way? WHY THE HELL has this been ingrained in us since we were small children? are so many of us really only doing this for the health insurance? WHY DO I KEEP HEARING “WORK YOUR ASS OFF” AS THOUGH THAT IS THE IRREFUTABLE KEY TO LIFE?
am i the only person who not only thinks that hard work is NOT tied to ethics in any way, but that this very mentality is COMPLETELY TOXIC and damaging to our livelihoods? i've talked to several of my peers with corporate jobs lately. ALL of them are unhappy. they work too hard, for too long, and at the end of the week they are tired and cranky. THIS IS NOT THE WAY HUMANS WERE INTENDED TO EXIST! when comes the point in history where the common man gets to reclaim their LIFE? where an everyday joe like me can just wake up and go on a nice long walk, and heal in nature? do i really have to wait for retirement? no texts, emails or sunday scaries. just time to exist in a way that is not tied to your employment, FOR JUST MAYBE ONE FREAKING SECOND!!!!
sometimes, i picture my reality as one of those dystopian future movies, where everyone is blind to the truth and totally, blissfully happy in doing so. (watch: THEY LIVE) i genuinely become sad by how many of my own friends are pleased, nay, delighted to participate in the big machine. never questioning why they are doing what they are doing, day in and day out. it's honestly disgusting.
in summary.
definitely be nice to people, but DON'T work hard. it's a myth. a damaging, toxic fucking myth.
we all have to work, but let's do exactly that and only that. JUST WORK. it's called boundary setting and more of us needed to be doing this yesterday.