The constant push for improvement and optimisation is killing what it means to be human, and our wallets.

Keeping up with the Joneses has always existed, but it feels like it’s become an entire way of life.
Everywhere you look, you’re being told to improve something. Get fitter, be more productive, earn more, upgrade your house, buy the new car, optimise your sleep, turn your hobby into a side hustle.

I don’t think this happened naturally. Businesses and influencers have realised there’s a fortune to be made by convincing people they’re perpetually falling short.

The money is in creating dissatisfaction and then selling optimisation as the cure.

And it’s not just happening to us, it’s happening to the products we buy too. Everything is getting shinier and more feature packed, yet somehow a lot of it feels worse. Products don’t last as long, quality has slipped, and the little details that make things genuinely good are sacrificed in the name of efficiency, cost-cutting and endless growth.
We’ve confused novelty with progress and optimisation with improvement.

The result is a society that’s wealthier and more connected than ever, yet seems increasingly anxious, dissatisfied and exhausted. Because if every part of life becomes a project to optimise, you’ll never feel like you’ve arrived.

Maybe not everything needs to be improved, upgraded or monetised.
Some things are valuable simply because they’re enjoyable, and sometimes “good enough” is actually enough.