May 18, 2026 · 18 min · 10 segments
There's a creeping cultural narrative that ambition is cringe, having goals is naïve, and if you're still trying to get ahead financially or professionally, you've somehow missed the memo that…
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I wanted to do something today about this sort of, this collective mindset that trying has become uncool or pointless.
[laughs] Do you know what I mean? I feel like, a- and again, like, I've talked about this a, a little bit before, I feel like there's this real sort of, um, you know, what's the point anyway type of mindset that's coming out on social media at the moment, and a lot of this like, oh, just like fuck your responsibilities, fuck your future.
Like, it's all fucked anyway, so why bother? And I think that there's kind of a lot to be said about that kind of absolute viewpoint.
I think, of course, a lot of it has merit in terms of it's coming down to younger generations, our generation and the, and the ones below sort of realizing that this system isn't working for us and realizing where we were promised, you know, get a good job, study, pay your bills on time, you'll be okay.
And I think, of course, you know, that needs to be addressed, and that's a very real part of the, the situation that we're living in.
But I still think that there is room somewhere between acknowledging that there are real issues with the system and, you know, being blindly loyal to an employer or climbing the corporate ladder or doing everything right, like, doesn't necessarily get you the things that it used to get you or the things that we were told that it would get us.
I know that sounds really kind of like, ooh, but I just think we've really lost that, and I think it's become almost something to hide to say that you're working towards something better for yourself or that you're trying to improve your situation.
I remember when I first started doing what I do online, and I know that times were different back then in 2018, 2019, even 2020.
But there was a real sense that, especially among the millennial generation, my generation, I'm 34, there was a real sense that we wanted to learn about money and we wanted to be better with it, and we wanted to overcome the challenges that we felt.
And we acknowledged that those challenges were there, and we acknowledged that some of them were within our control.
And, you know, the system we were existing in wasn't a cakewalk back then either.
Um, obviously, it was different, but, you know, I remember at that time everybody still felt like, how's everyone buying houses? Why aren't we getting wage growth? You know, it wasn't-- we were still existing in a very similar system.
Even if we didn't wanna work towards certain things, it was okay for other people to work towards certain things, and I really feel like we've lost that.
The disillusionment, while valid and necessary, I think, in terms of hoping for change and working towards change as a society, I think has become sort of the whole conversation rather than part of the conversation.
I think there's a difference between critiquing a system and acknowledging pathways that aren't worth pursuing and just deciding that nothing is worth pursuing at all.
I think if we reject all ambition just because some of it is not serving us or is exploitative or plays into the capitalist system or whatever, I think is reductive, particularly f- you know, when we look at what humans-- where humans thrive.
Like personal growth and having goals and striving to do meaningful work and striving to have work-life balance and have creative pursuits and just have a life that we enjoy doesn't need to be the same thing as selling your soul to corporations, for example.
You know, the rise of the lazy girl job and quiet quitting and everything, I think, you know, I think those have a place when they are in the context, I suppose, of creating a life for yourself, and maybe that is part of what you're, um, or, you know, why you're pursuing those things, because you're-Working on the growth sort of elsewhere.
I wanted to do something today about this sort of, this collective mindset that trying has become uncool or pointless.
[laughs] Do you know what I mean? I feel like, a- and again, like, I've talked about this a, a little bit before, I feel like there's this real sort of, um, you know, what's the point anyway type of mindset that's coming out on social media at the moment, and a lot of this like, oh, just like fuck your responsibilities, fuck your future.
Like, it's all fucked anyway, so why bother? And I think that there's kind of a lot to be said about that kind of absolute viewpoint.
I think, of course, a lot of it has merit in terms of it's coming down to younger generations, our generation and the, and the ones below sort of realizing that this system isn't working for us and realizing where we were promised, you know, get a good job, study, pay your bills on time, you'll be okay.
And I think, of course, you know, that needs to be addressed, and that's a very real part of the, the situation that we're living in.
But I still think that there is room somewhere between acknowledging that there are real issues with the system and, you know, being blindly loyal to an employer or climbing the corporate ladder or doing everything right, like, doesn't necessarily get you the things that it used to get you or the things that we were told that it would get us.
I know that sounds really kind of like, ooh, but I just think we've really lost that, and I think it's become almost something to hide to say that you're working towards something better for yourself or that you're trying to improve your situation.
I remember when I first started doing what I do online, and I know that times were different back then in 2018, 2019, even 2020.
But there was a real sense that, especially among the millennial generation, my generation, I'm 34, there was a real sense that we wanted to learn about money and we wanted to be better with it, and we wanted to overcome the challenges that we felt.
And we acknowledged that those challenges were there, and we acknowledged that some of them were within our control.
And, you know, the system we were existing in wasn't a cakewalk back then either.
Um, obviously, it was different, but, you know, I remember at that time everybody still felt like, how's everyone buying houses? Why aren't we getting wage growth? You know, it wasn't-- we were still existing in a very similar system.
Even if we didn't wanna work towards certain things, it was okay for other people to work towards certain things, and I really feel like we've lost that.
The disillusionment, while valid and necessary, I think, in terms of hoping for change and working towards change as a society, I think has become sort of the whole conversation rather than part of the conversation.
I think there's a difference between critiquing a system and acknowledging pathways that aren't worth pursuing and just deciding that nothing is worth pursuing at all.
I think if we reject all ambition just because some of it is not serving us or is exploitative or plays into the capitalist system or whatever, I think is reductive, particularly f- you know, when we look at what humans-- where humans thrive.
Like personal growth and having goals and striving to do meaningful work and striving to have work-life balance and have creative pursuits and just have a life that we enjoy doesn't need to be the same thing as selling your soul to corporations, for example.
You know, the rise of the lazy girl job and quiet quitting and everything, I think, you know, I think those have a place when they are in the context, I suppose, of creating a life for yourself, and maybe that is part of what you're, um, or, you know, why you're pursuing those things, because you're-Working on the growth sort of elsewhere.
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