In the achievement society, many if not most are driven primarily by achieving greatness. We try to prove this by becoming wealthy, famous, powerful, or otherwise impressive. Our efforts are self-serving. We are driven by profit, in the broadest sense of the word.
But many of us think differently. We care about the world. We want to use our energy to help others and to build a more sustainable, just, and peaceful world. We are driven by purpose.
The purpose-driven often imagine ourselves as combating the most damaging paradigms of global society: extractive economies, patriarchy, racism, authoritarianism, throwaway culture. We see ourselves as do-gooders who can help set the world right.
And yet, we rarely seem to oppose or even scrutinize the core tenets of the achievement society. Yes, we may move away from the need for more money and status. But even so, we simply replace the need for money and status with the need to have a “bigger impact.” We put the weight of saving the world on our shoulders. And so we must work even harder. We must take on more roles and responsibilities. We must do everything in our power to ensure the world goes on.
Though our intentions might be noble, it just deepens the problems facing the world today, so many of which are driven by our unending, unquestioned need for more, more, more.
The elusive “social impact” has just become another object of our lust and greed.
And when we can never quite achieve enough impact, the burnout that follows is uniquely devastating. It doesn’t just exhaust us. It makes us feel our world is ripping apart at the seams.
This is an excerpt from my upcoming book The Antihero’s Journey: From Burnout to Real Contribution in Polycrisis Times. To read other excerpts, go here.
