Member-only story
The Untold Truth About Hustle Culture
And Why You Should Quit
I bought the lie.
We all did.
“Hustle harder.”
“Rise and grind.”
“Sleep is for the weak.”
It sounded right at the time. Success takes sacrifice, right? If you’re not burning out, you’re not trying hard enough. I believed it. I lived it. And it broke me.
Here’s the truth. Hustle culture isn’t about success. It’s about control. And the moment you begin to feel pressured — ‘what will people say?’ You’re in trouble. That pressure — the fear of not wanting to be seen as lazy, kills. It’s the fever of the hustle culture.
For years, I woke up at 5 a.m. every day, worked 12-hour shifts, and squeezed side projects into my evenings. My schedule was airtight. My time wasn’t mine.
But it wasn’t just the hours.
It was the mindset.
Hustle culture feeds you a narrative: You’re not enough. Not smart enough. Not rich enough. Not working hard enough. It’s a treadmill with no finish line.
And the worst part?
You don’t notice until it’s too late.
I remember the moment it hit me. I had just staggered from work tired. Hours later…
