In 1972, a think tank named the Club of Rome published The Limits to Growth, a report predicting that if global populations and economies continued to grow exponentially, we would experience “a rather sudden and uncontrollable decline.” The findings, which appeared to signal the end of the world, were widely dismissed upon publication; half a century later, their apocalyptic vision of the future is reportedly mere decades away from becoming reality.¹ 

It is now overwhelmingly clear that we cannot continue at our current rate of production and consumption and that the plundering of finite natural resources has accelerated the risk of ecological and economic collapse; yet still we continue to push for more. Growth remains a key metric of economic performance, with countries and companies setting ambitious targets for increasing it. Consumer spending is continuing to rise and an avalanche of new products launch every day. 

This unstoppable drive toward growth isn’t just something we participate in as consumers; we’ve internalized its logic. Since the turn of the millennium—when Silicon Valley CEOs began to be celebrated for their “rise and grind” mindsets—working long hours has been worn as a badge of honor, and sacrificing a personal life, pleasure and rest seen as a fair exchange for professional progress. Today hustle culture demands that if you have hobbies, they must be monetized; you don’t just post on social media, you build your personal brand. Online, we devour productivity tips from high achievers and seek insights from their punishing daily routines, hungry for any advice that we can apply to our own lives. 

But it is not just our careers or financial position that we must improve—we are equally driven to work on ourselves, whether through products and services that claim to help us look younger and live longer, or with apps, online courses and resources that teach mindfulness, manifesting, a foreign language, or forgiving ourselves and others.