Yeah I don't think that burnout is a modern problem at all. But I think that I can point to certain aspects in modern society that cause it that may not have been present before, such as the completely emphasis on utility over everything else, and a spiritual and philosophical desertification.
I grew up in the UK which has the most extreme sense of "anything unproductive is useless". I completely failed my English oral test but because I was good at Maths and Science they just wrote "A" in my grade for GCSE English anyway. Who cares about humanities education (low wage, low GDP, likely unemployment) if you are good at Maths? Many people on this website will even swear there is no downside to foregoing an education in literature, philosophy, art, etc. We also don't have a liberal education at university: I studied physics and only physics for my entire university education.
I sympathise with the article you posted. It's interesting that it has been historically considered a moral failure and even punished:
> The Benedictine Rule directed that a monk displaying the outward signs of acedia should;–
> "be reproved a first and a second time. If he does not amend he must be subjected to the punishment of the rule so that the others may have fear."
Much of my shame over burnout came from knowing it was sinful. I don't think letting go of that shame has helped, though.
I grew up in the UK which has the most extreme sense of "anything unproductive is useless". I completely failed my English oral test but because I was good at Maths and Science they just wrote "A" in my grade for GCSE English anyway. Who cares about humanities education (low wage, low GDP, likely unemployment) if you are good at Maths? Many people on this website will even swear there is no downside to foregoing an education in literature, philosophy, art, etc. We also don't have a liberal education at university: I studied physics and only physics for my entire university education.
I sympathise with the article you posted. It's interesting that it has been historically considered a moral failure and even punished:
> The Benedictine Rule directed that a monk displaying the outward signs of acedia should;–
> "be reproved a first and a second time. If he does not amend he must be subjected to the punishment of the rule so that the others may have fear."
Much of my shame over burnout came from knowing it was sinful. I don't think letting go of that shame has helped, though.