August 6, 2025
In a capitalist system, a person is often valued based on their success. And success usually depends on how productive you are, how much you can focus, how hard you can grind, and how well you can "just do it." This way of thinking creates pressure to always do more and be more.
That pressure opens the door for certain forces or industries to exist. These are the people, systems, and tools that promise to help you become that person, the hard worker, the focused one, the unstoppable grinder. Motivational speeches, self-help books, life coaches — they all grow in this environment because people feel the need to perform and succeed.
Of course, capitalism isn't the only reason this motivation culture exists. I would also argue that the rise of psychology as a science played a big role. As psychology began to study the mind more deeply, it started to explore not just mental illness but also human potential, how we grow, thrive, and improve ourselves. This helped fuel the motivational movement we see today.