We don’t just live in a stressful world. We live in a system designed around profit, and where corporate greed touches everything, even education and mental health care.
Billionaires shamelessly spend $50 million on a wedding while millions go hungry. Healthcare, housing, and basic needs are gatekept by profit margins. People feel like failures. Not because they are, but because they can’t keep up with an inhumane system that was not built for them.
We’re taught early on that our value comes from how much we produce, how much we earn, or how much we spend.
That pressure shapes how we think and feel.
So if you feel chronically anxious, hopeless, burned out, disconnected, constantly behind, or like you’re never doing enough—those aren’t personal failures. They’re natural responses to a system that benefits when you feel unworthy.
How this happens
This system doesn’t just tell you directly that you’re not enough. It’s more strategic than that.
We get subtle and not-so-subtle signals everywhere:
- Advertisements and social media trends suggest you’re not attractive enough if you don’t fit the latest beauty standards or trends
- Work culture whispers to that you are not productive enough if you’re not constantly “hustling” or posting your work wins online
- Million dollar ad campaigns tell you that you’re not wealthy, trendy, or ambitious enough if you don’t own the right clothes, gadgets, or experiences
- Culture suggests your worth is measured by how much money you have or spend. Even if that means stretching yourself too thin financially
Corporations know how to trigger emotion to sell identity. They spend billions creating campaigns that feel personal.
They call their customers “family” and their brand a “movement,” but it’s a calculated performance to generate emotional loyalty and consumer habits. They present themselves as friendly, relatable, inclusive, while manipulating your fear of being left out or left behind.
Companies use neuromarketing to hook attention, create desire, and keep people buying—not just products, but identities. And when this manipulation works, other people adopt it too. Influencers, businesses, and even institutions mimic these tactics. Emotional manipulation becomes normal.
But just because it is normal, does not mean it is healthy.
How society rewards this behavior
The system doesn’t just exist, it’s reinforced and we’re rewarded for playing along:
- Working through burnout? You’re praised for your “grind.”
- Buying what you can’t afford? You’re called aspirational.
- Mirroring trends instead of being yourself? You’re considered “on brand.”
This creates a loop where compliance looks like success. Meanwhile, questioning the system gets you labeled as difficult, negative, or lazy.
When you do try to pull back or resist, you’re likely met with shame, exclusion, or internal doubt. The loop stays closed.
Mental health impacts
The emotional impact of this isn’t one-size-fits-all and shows up differently depending on how you were raised and what narratives your family or culture subscribed to.
But across the board, people carry:
- Chronic self-doubt: Nothing you do ever feels like enough
- Anxiety or guilt around rest: Productivity is tied to self-worth
- Body image issues: Your appearance is never just yours—it’s always being evaluated
- Money shame: You’re blamed for not thriving in a rigged economy
- Imposter syndrome: You constantly question if you belong—even when you’re qualified
What this can look like
This doesn’t always look like a breakdown. Often, it looks like:
- Overcommitting at work because you’re scared of being seen as lazy
- Avoiding social settings because everything feels like a competition
- Constantly switching goals, brands, or habits trying to “get it right”
- Feeling numb, bitter, or checked out from the world around you
- Believing deep down that happiness is something you have to earn
These aren’t personality flaws. They’re natural responses to a culture that teaches you you’re never enough.
This isn’t good for anyone
A system built on corporate greed isn’t just unfair—it’s unhealthy for everyone in it.
Even the people “benefitting” financially are disconnected. Greed isn’t a sign of happiness. Performing your value 24/7 isn’t peace. Needing others to feel small so you can feel successful isn’t power or fulfillment.
If you’re struggling in this system, it doesn’t mean you’re weak or broken. It means your body and mind are reacting the way any healthy person would. Recognizing that is the first step toward disconnecting from the lie that your worth is something you need to prove.