by Charles Hugh Smith
Of Two Minds
Burnout makes everyone uncomfortable, so it’s largely a silent epidemic.
Epidemics are not just biological in origin. A strong case can be made that a silent epidemic has been sweeping the nation for years, an epidemic few acknowledge: burnout.
People say “I’m really burned out,” and most of the time they mean they’re temporarily exhausted, but after a weekend of respite they’re back at work on Monday.
The epidemic kind of burnout isn’t temporary. Taking a weekend off doesn’t restore one’s ability to work. This kind of burnout is the collapse of one’s ability to go to work at all, a physical, emotional and psychological collapse.
Burnout isn’t just the result of overwork. It’s the collapse of the entire no limits, self-exploitation way of life.