We live in an achievement society and it is slowly killing us all: What can we do about it?

We no longer live in a disciplinary society, but rather an achievement society now.

We measure and observe each other, seeing who has the most, who has done the most, achieved the most.

Have you ever gone to a party and the dreaded question someone always asks you comes up when being introduced. "What do you do?" The underlining tones of this question are not just to learn something about you, but rather to measure up agents you; are you better than they are, what can you do to benefit them. If the person can not see you as attractive or value in your career choice that some way benefits them, the conversation will end.

Social value

So what does this achievement sociality value the most?

Social statues, popularity and assets. Things that do not make ones life better or happier, but do create a from of envy, desire and attention. Think celebrities, best selling authors, directors, entrepreneurs, designers. Anyone with a following, or as simple as an individual that has an item you desire.

This illusion that having more achievements is a good thing, not quality but quantity. That doing more is better for your well-being, and statues. That busy bee mentality or statue, "I'm so busy.", "I've been busy.", "I don't have the time, I'm so busy." Where in reality might be the beginning fractures in our society that has begin to show increases in anxiety and depression in our population, coincidence or causation?

Research conducted by the American Psychological Association (APA) found that individuals who consistently engage in social comparison, particularly in terms of achievements and possessions, are more prone to increased stress and diminished well-being.

With everything becoming more expensive due to inflation, people are no longer going out on a whim, as to venture outside is a costly endeavour with the lack of public third spaces.

So we are saving what little money we have by becoming nocturnal, hermits. This adds to the individual becoming more isolated and emotional strained. Working on ones self, without funds becomes harder and harder to achieve. Because if you are not producing, or have assets our social group deem worthy then you are worthless in our current society. Because of this, more an more people are turning to social-media for tribalism, education and entertainment.

The rise of the new celebrate has begun in the form of social-media stardom. Documenting ones every move, and life for all to see. To achieve recognition, attention, and hopefully monetary gain. People don't turn to social-media as a career because it makes them happy. It's for monetary aspirations. Documenting and optimising ones very life for entertainment purposes.

Being alive is no longer enough, you must achieve something. This narcissistic strategy and view of people means the economic structure see machines, numbers and tools, not people. We have lost our humanity, and we are voluntarily handing it over. This is something we can not just fix, as it is ingrained into the social subconscious.

Our best solution to combatant this, is to focus on collaboration over competition, when it comes to developing desired qualities. No longer trying to one up each other, but rather put out a helping had, "Is there anything I can do?".

Education system

We lived in a time, that educational statue was the starting point to build upon achievements, and later after completion would dictate your success and social structure in the future. This is beginning to crumble under the current system. Where it's who you know, not what you know any more. As the internet and Ai have done away with knowledge based careers and incomes.

A report by the World Economic Forum on the Future of Jobs highlights the increasing demand for skills such as complex problem-solving and emotional intelligence, indicating a shift away from traditional knowledge-based careers. We are in dire need for more nurses, caregivers and social workers. But those roles directly go agent what our society values, because these roles don't produce assets. They are seen as charitable courses, even thou we need them now more than ever.

Self improvement

This idea that you are deemed successful the more you achieve, create this self-perpetuating hamster wheel.

Where the masses start reading more about productivity, how to get the most out of your day. Optimising what you eat and time management. Tracking data you voluntarily opt into, so that you know your sleep cycle or heart rate 24/7. In hopes you can squeeze out just a little more productive out of your day.

Physical optimisation mean more then just shaping ones aesthetics, it also ties into new economic resources and markets. Opening us up to exploitation, because we could achieve even more if we are so called healthy.

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk explores the negative impact of excessive focus on physical optimisation, linking it to body dysmorphic disorders and unhealthy coping mechanisms, for underlining issues that might be suppressed.

This optimising to do more, to achieve more are the effect of our achievement society. Instead of historically, people telling us what to do, through institutions. If you do not do this thing you will be punished by god, the state your peers. Now we live in a time where we are free to choose. And with choose comes gratification in ones own freewill to voluntarily improve ones output. Self-optimisation.

We need to encourage wellness programs that prioritize holistic health, focusing on mental and physical well-being rather than conforming to societal beauty standards.

Self as an item, a system to optimise

If we see ourselves as a item, a project, a task that can always improve, then there is always more for us to do. This also ties into consumerism, getting more out of what limited resources we have, our own bodies and minds limited only by time. Because of this we constantly feel completed to improve ourselves, that there is always something we can work on.

As we see ourselves as an item we voluntarily subject ourselves in auto-exploitation, and even passionately live by these beliefs and philosophy's. Think of every tech bro or productivity guru. Neo-liberalism at its finest form, without governess, but rather internalised belief system in the self. Thus making ourselves limitless for production. We are not a human but a cyborg, with optimisation software in our hands.

This idea of a self as a project is our life's task, in the current system. Achieve more, do more, make more, obtain more, more, more, more. Just being is not longer valid or even see as worthy. If you are not working or have assets then you are valueless in our current society. The current narrative we say about people with zero assets or value to give back to society isn't because they are unfortunate, they are poor because they are lazy. They are not producing, it's their own fault.

Furthermore reinforcing individualistic control over ones destiny. When in reality you are just a product of your surrounding, upbringing and the financial and social states of your caregivers.

Mental health and well-being

The new rat-race, has a higher turnover of burnout, tiredness and stress. This is becoming more evident through psychiatry professions. People are struggling, and forming habits or survival trait, that are unhealthy just to function in the current system. It is no longer because of their own faults or wrong doings, but a survival mechanises to function. Society is the course and problem, the individual is not. There is no fix for this, the best we can do it dumb ourselves with pills. Putting a bucket under the leak, instead of fixing the leak itself.

the Journal of Applied Psychology demonstrates a strong association between long working hours and increased risk of mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. We are latterly working ourselves to an early grave.

We need to advocate for workplace policies that prioritize work-life balance, flexible scheduling, and mental health support services, along with a liveable wage.

GDP and where to from here

We no longer live in a disciplinary society, but rather an achievement society. Our Gross domestic product measuring system is a wonderful tool for measuring output, but it lacks one vital categories for a countries continual success and well-being of its people, and that is happiness. Achievements and output are wonderful things, but without meaning, soul and human dignity we are doomed to consider ourselves just another cog in the machine.

The World Happiness Report, which assesses countries based on various well-being indicators, emphasizes the importance of factors like social support, freedom to make life choices, and generosity in determining happiness. Along with ones health and safe social groups. We should Propose a shift in societal metrics, considering happiness and well-being alongside traditional economic indicators for a more holistic assessment of a nation's success.

We no longer live in a disciplinary society, but rather an achievement society now. I just hope we shift into a happiness and well-being society in the future. Where we are judged not by our jobs, what car we drive, colour or gender we identify with. But rather by the welcoming of our character, empathy and understand of others we share.