But Why Are We Always Trying to Fix Ourselves? | Self-Improvement, Burnout & Capitalism in Disguise
From sleep scores to step counts, even our joy is being tracked. But who is all this “self-improvement” really for? In this episode, Kristin and Laura ask what happens when being human stops being the goal and starts being a problem to fix. They unpack the rise of over-optimization, how capitalism convinced us we’re machines, and why even therapy isn’t safe from performance culture. Together, they explore:• The history of optimization — from factory floors to Fitbits• Why rest, joy, and creativity feel “unproductive”• How wellness culture became capitalism in disguise• Why therapy doesn’t work when it mimics the systems we’re trying to survive• How to reclaim unoptimized joy, boredom, and being for the sake of being This is a call to step off the treadmill, turn off the tracker, and return to what makes us human. Even if it’s messy. Especially because it’s messy. Socials: https://linktr.ee/butwhy.pod