The core motive of capitalism is to generate profit. This pursuit, of course, has brought us many of the comforts and products we enjoy today. However, it often comes at a real cost—by prioritizing wealth above all else, it has stripped away much of our humanity in the process.
“Within capitalism, who we are is reduced to what we do for money,” the creator of the personal finance Instagram page Rise and Shine Money told Bored Panda.
“We all know ‘What do you do?’ refers to our paid role in society and doesn’t value our other interests, skills, and offerings,” she said. “This is a huge loss when we put all the emphasis on how we create capital versus the fullness of our beings. There are many contributions to society that get undervalued here, such as parenting, volunteering, being a grandparent, or organizing within the community.”
The demanding schedules that capitalism requires, Rise and Shine Money argues, leave us burnt out, depleted, in poor health, and emotionally dysregulated. As a result, we often lack the energy or time to explore our creativity, enjoy hobbies, or connect with our communities.
“We end up bedrotting and doomscrolling instead of enjoying our beautiful world or engaging in activities that are fundamental to being human,” she said. “We have to outsource so much—food delivery, dog walking, housecleaning, childminding—because our jobs and commutes take up our best waking hours. We might even have to pay someone else to care for our child because we can’t afford to be out of the workforce for that long.”
Without framing it this way, it can be hard to recognize that many of the conveniences we rely on exist precisely because of the problems rooted in capitalism. But once you start noticing, it’s difficult to unsee—and disheartening to realize how deeply it influences nearly every aspect of our lives.
“Capitalism is a system that relies on exploitation in order to function, whether that’s the exploitation of people or the environment,” radical business consultant and social justice educator Bear Hebert explained in a conversation with Bored Panda.
