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Meritocracy is bullshiit.
Posted on: June 10, 2025 at 18:57:20 CT
TigerMatt STL
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In The Burnout Society, Byung-Chul Han describes a profound transformation in the nature of societal pressure. Where earlier societies relied on external discipline—rules, prohibitions, and authority figures to enforce conformity—modern meritocracy has internalized these pressures. We now live in what Han calls an “achievement society,” where individuals are both the taskmasters and the laborers of their own lives, relentlessly driving themselves to improve, succeed, and demonstrate their worth.
Within this achievement society, the individual becomes both perpetrator and victim. The imperative to maximize productivity and constantly “hustle” is no longer imposed from outside, but arises from within. People willingly submit to the demands of self-optimization, often at the expense of their own well-being. This culture of comparison, competition, and self-exploitation leads to widespread burnout, as individuals internalize the need to sacrifice rest, health, and happiness for the sake of success and external validation.
This shift is reflected in the way we interact socially. In St. Louis, it’s common to ask, “Where did you go to high school?”—a question loaded with social and economic implications. More broadly, in the achievement society, the question “What do you do?” has become a standard way to size up new acquaintances. This question is not just small talk; it is a subtle form of measurement and comparison. The person asking is often gauging their own status relative to others, which can breed feelings of inadequacy if they perceive themselves as falling short. The person being asked may also experience anxiety or shame if they feel their achievements do not measure up.
In this new paradigm, any lack of success is seen as a personal failure rather than the result of structural or systemic factors. The burden of achievement—and the blame for not achieving—falls squarely on the individual. This benefits corporations and organizations, as employees internalize the drive for productivity, willingly working longer hours, responding to emails late at night, and pushing themselves ever harder—all in the name of self-improvement and merit.
Han’s analysis reveals the darker side of meritocracy: a society where the relentless pursuit of achievement leads not to fulfillment, but to exhaustion and alienation. In the achievement society, we become prisoners of our own ambition, caught in an endless cycle of self-exploitation and burnout.
Within this achievement society, the individual becomes both perpetrator and victim. The imperative to maximize productivity and constantly “hustle” is no longer imposed from outside, but arises from within. People willingly submit to the demands of self-optimization, often at the expense of their own well-being. This culture of comparison, competition, and self-exploitation leads to widespread burnout, as individuals internalize the need to sacrifice rest, health, and happiness for the sake of success and external validation.
This shift is reflected in the way we interact socially. In St. Louis, it’s common to ask, “Where did you go to high school?”—a question loaded with social and economic implications. More broadly, in the achievement society, the question “What do you do?” has become a standard way to size up new acquaintances. This question is not just small talk; it is a subtle form of measurement and comparison. The person asking is often gauging their own status relative to others, which can breed feelings of inadequacy if they perceive themselves as falling short. The person being asked may also experience anxiety or shame if they feel their achievements do not measure up.
In this new paradigm, any lack of success is seen as a personal failure rather than the result of structural or systemic factors. The burden of achievement—and the blame for not achieving—falls squarely on the individual. This benefits corporations and organizations, as employees internalize the drive for productivity, willingly working longer hours, responding to emails late at night, and pushing themselves ever harder—all in the name of self-improvement and merit.
Han’s analysis reveals the darker side of meritocracy: a society where the relentless pursuit of achievement leads not to fulfillment, but to exhaustion and alienation. In the achievement society, we become prisoners of our own ambition, caught in an endless cycle of self-exploitation and burnout.
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Meritocracy is bullshiit. - TigerMatt STL - 6/10 18:57:20