The aspiring hero takes on lofty ambitions for what they do in the world. They put too much on their shoulders until they break down from stress and exhaustion. In such a state, peace is not possible.
In contrast, the antihero learns to cultivate humbler aspirations. Yes, they seek to engage with the world in a meaningful, positive way. They do not turn their back on those in need. But they know that no matter how much they do, they will never save the world. And they know that outsized ambitions simply recreate the core “more, more, more” logic that plagues the world today.
And so they allow their contribution to be smaller. When possible, they leave empty space in their calendar. They take on fewer projects at work. They let themselves “waste” some of their time, deliberately, without apology. They acknowledge that the empty spaces of their calendar are the most truly subversive, transformative parts of their work in the world.
When practically possible, given their life realities, they allow their overall volume of work to shrink. In a world of more, more, more, they allow themselves less, less, less until they actually start to feel calmer. They allow their freer, lighter lifestyle to serve as a subtle form of activism, a quiet invitation to those still entangled in achievement society. They stretch themselves to see just how little they can do and still know in their heart that it’s enough.
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.
