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Musings Report 2022-20 5-14-22 My New Book on Burnout
You are receiving this email because you are one of the subscribers/major contributors to www.oftwominds.com.
For those who are new to the Musings reports: they're a glimpse into my notebook, the unfiltered swamp where I organize future themes, sort through the dozens of stories and links submitted by readers, refine my own research and start connecting dots which appear later in the blog or in my books. As always, I hope the Musings spark new appraisals and insights. Thank you for supporting the site and for inviting me into your circle of correspondents.
Thank You, Patrons and Contributors!
Thank you, renewing subscribers Edward M., Gerald B., Robert M., Harvey D. and Evan R., and welcome new subscribers Heather L. and David C. --thank you very much!
My New Book on Burnout
You frequently hear people say "I'm really burned out," and most of the time they mean "temporarily drained:" they're exhausted, stressed, etc., but after a weekend of respite they're recharged and back at work on Monday.
The other kind of burnout isn't temporary. Taking a weekend off doesn't restore normal life. This kind of burnout is the collapse of one's ability to go to work at all, and the collapse of one's physical, emotional and psychological strength.
People who haven't burned out are at a loss to understand this collapse, as it's so far outside everyday experience. Many people have boundless energy and the notion of being too exhausted to get out of bed simply doesn't compute.
Lacking any direct experience of such a collapse, the non-burned-out person may try to help by offering suggestions that work on temporary burnout.
As the burnout slides downhill, the non-burnout may understandably be concerned and frustrated, and they may chide the burnout for complaining so much: buck up, be positive, get with the program, etc.
Neither suggestions to rest, treat yourself well, listen to calming music, etc., or chiding the burnout to stop complaining will fix what's broken, as what's broken is the entire person.
I could not understand what burnout felt like until I experienced it myself. I burned out first at 33 and more recently, at age 65.
While there were similarities, of course, burning out in my 60s was different than burning out in my 30s.
My spouse burned out four months after I did, and it was tougher on her because it was her first experience of collapse / burnout.
We searched for articles and books on burnout but didn't find much that spoke to our experiences. There are more resources now than there were 30 years ago, but none provided what we were looking for: a practical guide to the entire experience and recovery process of burnout.
I realized that I should write the book we wanted but could not find, and so I started making notes and saving links in early 2019.
This book is my account of what helped me. The intended audience is other burnouts and those who want to better understand the experience of burnout.
All my other books are on topics of general interest, society, technology and the economy. This book is focused on burnout in the context of the culture, society and economy we live in.
Here is the Introduction and first chapter of the book: https://www.oftwominds.com/Burnout-sample2.pdf
As I've noted elsewhere on the blog and in my books, our culture typically assigns responsibility to the individual for their relative success or failure.
We are responsible for our thoughts, decisions and behaviors, but this doesn't mean the system we inhabit is inconsequential.
Work has changed dramatically in the 52 years I've been working. Some jobs have remained pretty much the same, but most have changed in ways few recognize or understand.
The pressure on workers has increased on multiple levels. Insecurity is the norm. As I've repeatedly documented, the purchasing power of labor has declined for 45 years.
Financialization and globalization have tended to make the already-wealthy much wealthier while increasing the psychological and financial pressure on the non-wealthy.
From the point of view of the already-wealthy who dominate the media, politics, healthcare, academia and institutions, the status quo works great because they're doing great.
In my view, our society and economy are now optimized to burn people out.
I realize many people will object to this. But those who object must ask if their own privileged position has something to do with their objection.
Even those with high status and income are burning out.
In my experience, there are no easy one-size-fits-all answers to burnout, either socially or for each individual. But there is a way forward.
That's the purpose of my book: to lay out the way forward that helped me.
For those interested, I'm offering a 25% discount for subscribers and patrons through Monday, May 16. List price for the print book is $20 (now $15) and $9.95 for the Kindle edition (now $7.50).
KINDLE
https://amzn.to/3FNLpRJ
PAPERBACK
https://amzn.to/3yvZDFo
Thank you for supporting my work!
Highlights of the Blog
Curveballs in the Housing Bubble Bust 5/13/22
Herd on the Street 5/11/22
The Problem with Money 5/9/22
Best Thing That Happened To Me This Week
The new book is out in the world. That's a great feeling.
From Left Field
NOTE TO NEW READERS: This list is not comprised of articles I agree with or that I judge to be correct or of the highest quality. It is representative of the content I find interesting as reflections of the current zeitgeist. The list is intended to be perused with an open, critical, occasionally amused mind.
The secret world beneath our feet is mind-blowing – and the key to our planet’s future -- well worth a read--
China Is Facing a Big Contradiction Between its Politics and its Economics
China Is Probably the Most Overvalued Property Market in the World. Evergrande is a Symptom of That
In Defense Of Housing
Monsanto’s Ghostwriting to Influence Science and Media
Israeli researchers warn of new international COVID wave, driven by Delta comeback
The Prophet of the Revolt: Martin Gurri and the ungovernable public
Beyond The Limits: What did we learn from "The Limits to Growth"? (15:59) (via PaleoTrader)
Tokyo's Manuscript Writing Cafe only allows writers on a deadline, and won't let them leave until finished
London’s lost ringways (a.k.a. ring roads...)
Saudi Arabia warns that the world is running out of energy capacity: 'I have never seen these things'
How Queer Was Ludwig Wittgenstein? -- of interest to philosophy students...
"The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are." C.G. Jung
Thanks for reading--
charles |
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