Ditch the Grindset

A performatively long workweek is one of the major status signals in the contemporary American meritocracy—whether it’s crushing hours as a medical resident, BigLaw associate, McKinsey consultant, or Silicon Valley coder. This class prejudice appeared in the debate that erupted in December over H-1B visas. Many of the tech defenders of the H-1B program reduced economic flourishing to the grind, and their arguments revealed the dangers of a viewpoint that sees human beings as mere economic outputs. Instead, a more full-spectrum understanding of human flourishing is required.