09/05/2026
When did we decide that if you're not monetizing it, you're wasting your time?
College kids (sports) get paid now. Cool. Before that, everyone else made money off them for decades — so fine, that one's overdue.
But look at what came with it. Everyone's a "creator." Your hobby isn't just a hobby anymore — it's a "personal brand" waiting to happen. Grief gets a Substack. Happiness gets a highlight reel with a shop link. Nobody's allowed to just enjoy something anymore without someone asking "have you thought about monetizing this?"
And the job thing — you're not allowed to love a job that pays modestly. You have to "maximize your earning potential," always be optimizing, always be leveling up. Heaven forbid you just... like your work and go home happy.
We didn't used to run our whole lives like a startup pitch. When did everything become an asset?
Not everything needs a business model. Some things are just supposed to be yours.