If you keep putting work before health and happiness, you may be suffering from internalized capitalism

There's a term on social media more and more young people are using to explain the feeling that no matter what they do, it's never enough: internalized capitalism.

"Internalized capitalism is this idea that our self-worth is directly linked to our productivity," said Anders Hayden, a political science professor at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia who is conducting research on the political and policy impacts of alternative measures of wellbeing and prosperity outside of gross domestic product (GDP).

"You can't feel value in yourself just for being alive – just for being a human being. You have to be a 'human doing' to have any value." 

While internalized capitalism may manifest differently depending on factors such as race, gender or social class, it generally refers to people who feel guilty when they rest, undervalue their achievements and prioritize work over well-being. It can be saying things like "I should be doing more," or "I should be farther along." 

Internalized capitalism joins a host of other phrases used to describe harmful attitudes directed toward ourselves, including internalized sexism, internalized racism and internalized homophobia. These forms of oppression are insidious, perpetuated by cultural attitudes so deeply held that it's difficult to recognize them.

Women who internalize sexism undervalue their talents, undermine other women and unwittingly bolster a boys’ club. A person of color who has internalized racism may believe Black people are more violent than white people. A person with internalized homophobia may reject their sexual orientation. 

Nikita Banks, a licensed clinical social worker who says she sees many clients who struggle with the feeling that they are only contributing to society if they are producing, said internalized capitalism can manifest as burnout, depression and overall dissatisfaction. 

"There's never just a time where you're able to sit back and smell the roses or even give yourself grace for the accomplishments. The things that you achieved are not enough," she said. "I don't think that as an American you can escape it."

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Internalized capitalism is a new way to describe an old idea

Hayden said while the term may be increasingly popular, the concept of internalized capitalism is not new. It appears to be a more novel way of describing the Calvinist work ethic, he said, a value that equates hard work and success with salvation. 

"The Calvinists ... had this incredible doubt of whether they were worthy and to prove that they were worthy, they had to be able to show that they could be continually industrious, and continually producing and frugal as well," he said.

Hayden said the term appears to be especially popular among young people, which he finds unsurprising given the pressures younger workers face to make something of themselves while navigating the crush of student debt and the high cost of housing.

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"Apart from everything related to COVID, there's just a lot of pressure and a lot of economic insecurity," he said. "(In the U.S.) the rewards might be greater in terms of how high you can climb, but you can fall a lot farther without anything to catch you."

Everyone is vulnerable, but social status matters

Hayden said he's inclined to think everyone in a capitalistic society is vulnerable to internalizing ideas that connect our value to what we do rather than who we are, though it can play out differently depending on social position.

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Someone from a privileged background may face intense pressure to achieve because they're trying to live up to family expectations. Others from less privileged backgrounds might be driven by immediate economic pressures.

Some scholars argue capitalism and white supremacy are inherently linked, since the system permits and encourages exploitation of marginalized groups and especially people of color.

"There's this narrative that Black people are lazy ... because it's a way to get us to work in a way that devalues ourselves," Banks said. "Black people built this entire country for free and at the core root of white supremacy is getting free labor."

How to resist internalized capitalism

To resist internalized capitalism, Banks said people need to celebrate their accomplishments and not compare their journey to others. 

"Be kind to yourself and give yourself grace to understand that where you are in your life right now is maybe not where you end up," she said. "It's OK to keep pushing, but self-care is important. Watch your internal narratives around what you've accomplished, what you've achieved and where you want to be."

Hayden said the overall goal of any society should be wellbeing, not productivity. 

"There's a lot of times when we say yes to these things and push ourselves, thinking we've got to, there's always more to be done. And sometimes it's helpful to take a step back and really question whether it's worth doing all these things," he said. "People, depending on their social position, are going to have different degrees of power over how much they can say no to, but to the extent that we have those options, I think it's good to ask, 'is it worth it?'"