What if we dared to imagine a world without poverty, exhausting workweeks, or closed borders? In Utopia for Realists, Rutger Bregman makes the case that such visions are not idle fantasies but possibilities grounded in history and research.
His proposals – a universal basic income, a 15-hour working week, and open borders — may sound radical, but Bregman reminds us that ideas once dismissed as utopian, such as democracy or universal suffrage, are now everyday realities. His point is clear: if we cannot picture alternatives, we cannot create them.
Bregman’s work is not a detailed policy manual but a call to expand our imagination. He invites us to step back from the dominant paradigm of endless growth and busyness and instead consider what truly matters for collective well-being. By shifting the horizon of what seems possible, he argues, we create space for new conversations and cultural change.
For those of us exploring new ways of living, Utopia for Realists offers both hope and challenge. You may not agree with all of Bregman’s ideas, but engaging with them sharpens our sense of what’s at stake. In times of uncertainty, the ability to imagine alternatives may be one of our most vital resources.
We live in a culture that glorifies the “self-made” individual. From business moguls to social media influencers, success stories often emphasize personal grit, hustle, and independence. The idea that we must rely on ourselves alone to succeed is deeply embedded in Western thought. This is the myth of individualism—one of the most pervasive and limiting beliefs of the dominant paradigm.
Yet, the truth is that no one is truly self-made. Behind every success story are unseen networks of support, privilege, and social infrastructure. The emphasis on rugged individualism has disconnected us from the communal bonds that have historically sustained human life. In this article, we’ll explore where this myth comes from, how it shapes our lives, and how reconnecting with interdependence can lead to a more fulfilling existence.
If you prefer to listen or watch, I’ve created a short video that brings this message to life – click below to explore the shift from isolation to connection.
Where Did the Myth of Individualism Come From?
The idea that individual effort alone determines success has roots in several historical and cultural shifts:
The Enlightenment → Western philosophy began prioritizing reason, autonomy, and self-determination.
The Industrial Revolution → Economic structures shifted from communal village life to competitive labour markets.
Capitalism & Neoliberalism → The modern economy rewards self-interest and privatization over collective well-being.
The American Dream → The belief that hard work alone can lead to success, regardless of systemic barriers.
These forces created a worldview that idealizes self-sufficiency while downplaying the role of community, relationships, and shared resources.
How the Myth of Individualism Shapes Our Lives
The belief in self-sufficiency affects how we view success, relationships, and even our sense of self.
1. Loneliness and Social Isolation
The rise of hyper-individualism has led to widespread disconnection.
Many people feel ashamed to ask for help, fearing it signals weakness.
Community structures that once supported people (extended families, neighbourhoods, local organizations) have been eroded by economic and social mobility.
2. The Pressure to “Do It All” Alone
People are expected to balance work, family, self-care, and personal growth with little communal support.
Burnout culture thrives when individuals believe they must be entirely self-reliant.
The stigma around relying on social safety nets (such as healthcare, childcare, or mutual aid) reinforces the illusion that we should be independent.
3. Reinforcing Economic Inequality
The individualist myth ignores systemic barriers like race, class, and access to resources.
Success is often attributed to personal effort rather than inherited privilege or social advantages.
Those who struggle financially or professionally are often blamed for not working hard enough rather than recognized as facing structural challenges.
4. Undermining Collective Action
Social movements rely on solidarity, yet the dominant paradigm discourages group efforts in favour of personal ambition.
Political and economic policies reinforce competition rather than cooperation.
Environmental and social crises require collective solutions, but individualism often leads people to feel powerless and disengaged.
Rather than rejecting personal responsibility, rethinking individualism means recognizing the power of interdependence—the reality that we are stronger together than we are alone.
1. Cultivate Community-Oriented Thinking
Shift from “I” to “we” thinking in personal and professional life.
Engage in mutual aid and cooperative projects.
Recognize that seeking help is a sign of wisdom, not weakness.
2. Strengthen Social Bonds
Prioritize deep relationships over surface-level networking.
Reconnect with local communities through volunteering, mentorship, or collective initiatives.
Create support systems that replace the pressure of self-sufficiency with shared responsibility.
3. Advocate for Systemic Change
Challenge economic and social policies that prioritize profit over well-being.
Support cooperative business models, universal basic services, and community-owned resources.
Recognize that success is not just an individual pursuit but a communal effort.
Final Thoughts: Redefining Success Beyond the Individual
The dominant paradigm has led us to believe that being independent is the ultimate goal, but real fulfilment comes from connection. Recognizing that our lives are interwoven with others can lead to a richer, more sustainable way of living. Instead of striving to be self-sufficient in isolation, we can begin to embrace the truth: we are meant to thrive together.
If this theme resonates with you, you may enjoy my review of Charles Eisenstein’s The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible. Eisenstein explores how the myth of separation underpins our culture of individualism, and how reimagining our world through the lens of interbeing can help us move toward connection, meaning, and a more compassionate way of living.
Reflection Questions:
Where in your life do you feel the most pressure to be self-sufficient?
Have you ever hesitated to ask for help, even when you needed it? Why?
How can you begin to cultivate more interdependence in your personal and professional life?
In the next article, we’ll explore another key aspect of the dominant paradigm: the extractive mindset and how it has shaped our relationship with the natural world.
This article is part of the series Beyond the Dominant Paradigm. You can begin the journey with the introductory article.
If you’d like to explore these ideas more deeply, download my free guide Walking the Soulful Path when you sign up for my monthly newsletter.
And if you’re ready to take the next step, the Soulful Path to Life Purpose programme offers a structured way to step outside cultural expectations and reconnect with what truly matters to you.
Charles Eisenstein’s The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible. explores the shift from the “Story of Separation” — where life is framed as competition, control, and scarcity — to the “Story of Interbeing,” rooted in connection, compassion, and shared wellbeing. Through short, reflective chapters, Eisenstein invites us to embrace the uncertainty and grief of leaving old narratives behind, recognising them as fertile ground for new possibilities. He offers no quick fixes, but a humble, deeply human call to enact change through small, daily acts of care. This is a book to read slowly, allowing its ideas to take root. It’s an invitation to live as if a better world is possible — because, in countless small ways, it already is.
Have you ever felt guilty for taking a break? Or anxious when you’re not being “productive”? Many of us experience an underlying pressure to constantly do more, achieve more, and be more. This is not just a personal struggle – it’s a symptom of the dominant paradigm, which has conditioned us to equate our worth with our work.
This relentless drive for productivity is so deeply ingrained that it feels natural, even necessary. But what if it’s not? What if this belief is actually a trap, one that keeps us disconnected from meaning, creativity, and even our own well-being? In this article, we’ll explore how productivity has been enshrined as a core value in Western culture, how it affects our lives, and how we can begin to break free.
How Productivity Became the Measure of Worth
Productivity as a defining value has historical roots in:
The Industrial Revolution – People were increasingly measured by how efficiently they could work, much like machines.
Capitalism & Growth Economies – Society rewards output and economic contribution, often at the cost of human well-being.
The Protestant Work Ethic – The idea that hard work is morally superior, while rest is indulgent.
Modern Hustle Culture – The rise of “grind” mentality, where constant work is glorified and seen as the path to success.
Over time, these forces have shaped our cultural mindset, making productivity the primary way we measure success and self-worth.
The Consequences of the Productivity Trap
This mindset has profound consequences for our personal, social, and even spiritual lives.
A. Burnout and Chronic Stress
The pressure to always be “on” leads to exhaustion and declining mental health.
People feel guilty for resting, believing they should always be doing something “useful.”
Work-life balance becomes nearly impossible as productivity infiltrates even leisure time (e.g., tracking fitness, turning hobbies into side hustles).
B. The Monetization of Passion
The expectation that every skill or interest should be turned into a money-making venture.
Creative and personal pursuits lose their joy when they become “work.”
People hesitate to explore new passions unless they seem profitable.
C. Disconnection from Meaning and Purpose
We confuse being busy with being fulfilled.
Reflection, stillness, and deep contemplation are undervalued because they don’t produce immediate results.
Many struggle to find meaning in work but feel trapped in the cycle of needing to be productive.
D. The Fear of “Wasting Time”
Activities that don’t have a clear outcome (such as daydreaming, wandering, or simply being) are seen as pointless.
People struggle with unstructured time, feeling restless without a clear task.
The idea that our value is independent of what we produce is difficult to internalize.
If you’d prefer to engage with these ideas through a short video, or want to deepen the reflection, here’s a soulful overview of what it means to step outside the productivity trap.
Breaking Free: Rethinking Productivity and Purpose
If we want to step outside the productivity trap, we need to challenge the beliefs that keep us stuck in it. Here’s how:
A. Redefine What “Productive” Means
Can rest, creativity, and self-reflection be seen as valuable in themselves?
What if we measured success not by output, but by fulfilment and alignment with our values?
Recognizing that stepping away from work can actually help clarify a deeper sense of purpose, allowing space for new insights and a more intuitive, connected way of living.
B. Resist the Hustle Mentality
Unlearn the belief that “more” is always better.
Recognize that slowing down is not failure—it’s essential for long-term well-being and creativity.
Create boundaries between work and personal time to prevent purpose from being solely defined by external output.
C. Embrace “Being” Over “Doing”
Engage in activities with no purpose other than joy, presence, and exploration.
Shift from a mindset of productivity to one of presence.
Trust that purpose unfolds naturally when we allow ourselves to follow what feels meaningful, rather than forcing ourselves into constant achievement.
D. Normalize Rest as an Act of Resistance
Recognize that in a culture obsessed with production, choosing rest and reflection is a radical act.
Practice deep rest without guilt, knowing that well-being is as valuable as work.
Understand that true purpose often emerges in the space between tasks, when we have time to reflect and connect with what truly matters.
Final Thoughts: A New Relationship with Work, Purpose, and Worth
The dominant paradigm has convinced us that our worth is tied to our productivity, but we don’t have to accept this story. By questioning these deeply held beliefs and redefining what truly matters, we can create lives that are not just busy, but meaningful.
Stepping away from the productivity trap allows us to connect more deeply with authentic purpose—one that isn’t dictated by work or external achievement but is instead rooted in the things that bring us joy, meaning, and connection.
Reflection Questions:
Where in your life do you feel most pressured to be productive?
Have you ever experienced guilt around resting or slowing down? Why?
What would a more balanced, fulfilling relationship with work and rest look like for you?
This article is part of the series Beyond the Dominant Paradigm. You can start from the beginning with the introductory article.
In the next article, we’ll explore another key aspect of the dominant paradigm: the myth of individualism and how it disconnects us from true community.
For more perspectives and inspiration, you might also enjoy my Cultural Shift book reviews theme, where I highlight authors who are reimagining society and pointing toward more life-giving possibilities.
If you’re ready to break free from the pressure to constantly prove your worth through productivity and want to cultivate a more authentic, fulfilling sense of purpose, check out The Soulful Path to Life Purposeprogramme.
The Book ofHygge by Louisa Thomsen Brits is a beautifully quiet book that invites us to rediscover the soul of everyday life. Far from the Instagram version of hygge, this book returns to its Danish roots -offering a deeply human sense of presence, belonging, and emotional warmth. With poetic, meditative prose, Thomsen Brits shows that hygge isn’t about stuff or perfection, but about shared rituals, ease, and grounding in the present. A series of short reflective chapters makes this a book to dip into when you need to slow down and reconnect with what matters. It’s less a how-to and more a heartfelt reminder that comfort, simplicity, and connection are available in ordinary moments. A lovely companion for anyone walking a soulful path or looking to create a sense of sanctuary in their life.
If you enjoy books like this, check out my other Soulful Living & Inner Growth reviews here. These reviews explore books that invite deeper reflection, nurture emotional and spiritual wellbeing, and offer gentle guidance for living a more meaningful and authentic life. Let them accompany you as you slow down, look inward, and reconnect with what truly matters
Have you ever felt like success, work, and even personal growth are measured by standards that don’t quite feel right to you? That there’s an invisible force pushing you to always be productive, achieve more, and compete – even when it’s exhausting? This isn’t just personal; it’s systemic. It’s the result of what we can call the dominant paradigm – a set of deep-rooted cultural assumptions that shape how we see the world, often without us realizing it.
This paradigm is so ingrained that it feels like common sense rather than a specific worldview. But when we start to examine it, we can begin to see its impact on our sense of self, our relationships, our work, and our search for meaning.
Prefer to watch or listen instead of reading? Here’s a short video version of this article, covering the same ideas in a more visual format
What Is the Dominant Paradigm?
The dominant paradigm is the prevailing system of beliefs, values, and assumptions that shape Western industrialized societies. It tells us what is valuable, what is “normal,” and what a “successful” life looks like. While it includes capitalism, it is not only about economics. It is a mindset rooted in several interwoven ideas:
Productivity = Worth → Your value is measured by how much you produce and achieve.
Growth = Success → More is always better. Expansion, accumulation, and bigger goals define progress.
Individualism Over Community → Prioritizing personal success over collective well-being.
Separation from Nature → The natural world is seen as a resource, not as something we are inherently connected to.
Linear Progress → Life is expected to be an upward climb toward clear, measurable goals.
Rationalism Over Intuition → The scientific, logical, and material take precedence over the emotional, spiritual, and relational.
These assumptions have shaped our institutions, economies, education systems, and even our inner lives. But they are not universal truths – they are cultural constructs that have been reinforced over centuries.
Where Did the Dominant Paradigm Come From?
While elements of this paradigm have existed in different forms, they were largely solidified through:
The Scientific Revolution (16th – 17th centuries) → A shift toward seeing the world as something to be understood, controlled, and manipulated.
The Industrial Revolution (18th – 19th centuries) → Efficiency, mechanization, and mass production became core values.
Colonialism & Capitalism → Extractive economies that prioritized expansion, competition, and commodification of labour and land.
Over time, these forces combined to create a worldview that sees the world, and even human beings, as resources to be optimized, controlled, and extracted from.
How the Dominant Paradigm Shapes Our Lives
This paradigm influences almost every aspect of how we think, work, and relate to one another:
1. Work & Success
The belief that your worth is tied to your productivity leads to burnout and self-doubt.
People feel pressure to monetize their passions or turn every skill into a marketable service.
Rest and leisure are often seen as laziness rather than necessary for well-being.
2. Relationships & Community
Hyper-individualism creates loneliness and weakens social bonds.
The idea of “self-sufficiency” can prevent people from asking for help or relying on community.
Relationships can become transactional, measured by what we get out of them rather than deep connection.
3. Spirituality & Meaning
Purpose is often defined in economic terms – what career you have, what legacy you leave -rather than intrinsic fulfilment.
Many ancient wisdom traditions emphasize cycles, rest, and reciprocity, but these ideas are often dismissed as impractical.
A disconnection from nature leads to a loss of deeper belonging and soulfulness.
4. The Environment
The natural world is treated as an endless resource for human use, rather than as something we are part of.
The idea of “progress” is often linked to economic expansion, even when it harms ecosystems and future generations.
Can We Think Beyond the Dominant Paradigm?
This paradigm is not inevitable. It was created over time, which means it can also be changed. Many thinkers, indigenous traditions, and regenerative movements offer alternative ways of seeing the world – ones that prioritize connection, balance, and sustainability over endless growth and competition.
In future articles, we’ll explore specific aspects of this paradigm in more depth – how it shapes our sense of purpose, our relationship with work, and our ability to find meaning beyond productivity. Most importantly, we’ll look at what comes next – how we can begin to step outside the dominant paradigm and reimagine a more soulful, interconnected way of living.
Reflection Questions:
Which parts of the dominant paradigm feel most present in your own life?
Have you ever questioned ideas of success, productivity, or individualism? If so, what did you discover?
What alternative ways of thinking and living resonate with you?
By becoming aware of the water we swim in, we can begin to step onto dry land and see new possibilities.
If you’ve ever felt like the world’s expectations don’t quite align with your deeper sense of meaning, you’re not alone. TheSoulful Path to Life Purpose programme is designed to help you step outside these societal norms and reconnect with what truly matters to you.
After exploring how the dominant paradigm shapes our ideas of success and meaning, the next article dives into one of its most pervasive expressions – the belief that our worth is defined by constant productivity.
This article is part of the series Beyond the Dominant Paradigm. You can start from the beginning with the introductory article.
If you’d like to continue exploring how to step outside cultural expectations and reconnect with what truly matters, you can download my free guide Walking the Soulful Path when you sign up for my monthly newsletter.
For more perspectives and inspiration, you might also enjoy my Cultural Shift book reviews theme, where I highlight authors who are reimagining society and pointing toward more life-giving possibilities.
James Hollis and the Quiet Challenge of Soulful Living
What does it mean to live a life that’s truly your own?
In Creating a Life, Jungian analyst James Hollis doesn’t offer a blueprint for success – he offers something far more valuable: a deeply considered invitation to reflect, question, and reorient toward the soul’s path. This is not a book for skimming or quick takeaways. It’s one to slow down with, underline, and return to.
Rather than prescribing a step-by-step method, Hollis walks with us through the terrain of adult life-its complexity, its contradictions, its call to meaning. He reminds us that the real work of adulthood is often not about achievement, but about unlearning the inherited expectations that shape our lives unconsciously. Who are we when we stop performing the roles others have handed us?
One of the most refreshing aspects of Hollis’s work is his refusal to simplify. He affirms that ambiguity is part of the journey and that asking better questions is often more important than finding final answers. His writing draws on depth psychology, myth, and lived human experience, and resonates with anyone who’s felt disillusioned by the performative positivity of mainstream self-help.
This is a book for threshold moments: midlife shifts, quiet crises, or those subtle inner nudges that something in your life wants to be reimagined. It won’t hand you clarity on a plate-but it will honour the tangle and complexity of your journey.
If you’re navigating questions of purpose, longing for greater authenticity, or seeking a deeper orientation to your life, Creating a Life may speak to you in ways that few other books can. It’s a companion for soulful living, not a solution. And in that lies its quiet power.
If this review has sparked questions about your own path, you might enjoy my Life Purpose FAQs – a free 78-page guide that tackles the most common questions about meaning, values, passions, and direction in life. You’ll receive it when you sign up for my monthly newsletter, which also shares fresh insights and resources to support your journey.
For many people, the idea of life purpose feels overwhelming. We’ve been taught that purpose is something we must find-a singular mission that defines our lives. But what if this way of thinking is limiting rather than liberating? What if purpose isn’t something we have to achieve but something we can live into each day?
This series, Rethinking Purpose Beyond the Dominant Paradigm, explores how conventional ideas about purpose have been shaped by cultural conditioning and how we can move toward a more soulful, connected, and evolving understanding of what it means to live with purpose.
If you prefer to listen or watch, I’ve created a video companion to this article that walks through the main themes and offers an invitation to reflect more deeply. You can watch it below:
What’s Wrong with How We’ve Been Taught to See Purpose?
In the dominant cultural paradigm, purpose is often tied to:
Career and Productivity → Your purpose is your job, and your value is in how much you produce.
Achievement and Success → Purpose is a grand mission or legacy that must be big and impactful.
Future-Oriented Thinking → Purpose is something you find rather than something you live.
This mindset creates unnecessary pressure, making people feel like they must constantly strive, achieve, or prove themselves in order to be living a “meaningful” life. But what if we approached purpose differently?
What This Series Explores
Over the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing articles that challenge these conventional ideas and offer a more soul-aligned, regenerative, and fluid approach to purpose. Here’s what you can expect:
How the dominant paradigm ties purpose to productivity—and how we can free ourselves from the pressure to constantly do in order to feel worthy. This article also explores how breaking free from productivity-driven worth allows us to live with more genuine purpose, prioritizing presence over achievement.
3. The Myth of Individualism: Why Purpose is About Connection
How hyper-individualism isolates us and why a sense of interconnection is essential for deep, fulfilling purpose.
4. The Extractive Mindset: Why We Treat Life as a Resource
How societal conditioning makes us view purpose (and life itself) through a lens of extraction, rather than reciprocity and sustainability.
5. Rethinking Success: How to Measure Meaning in a Different Way
How we can redefine success beyond external markers like money, status, and productivity to embrace a more holistic and fulfilling way of living. This article will also highlight how shifting our definition of success helps us align with a deeper, more personal sense of purpose.
6. How to Think Beyond the Dominant Paradigm
Practical ways to shift your thinking and step into a more soulful and expansive understanding of life purpose.
7. Living the Alternative: Putting New Paradigms into Practice
It’s not enough to think differently—we need to live differently. This final article will explore real ways to integrate these ideas into your life.
8. Rethinking Purpose Beyond the Dominant Paradigm
A final deep dive into why we need to rethink purpose itself—shifting from an external pursuit to a way of being that is fluid, relational, and deeply personal.
Join the Conversation
I’d love to hear your thoughts as we explore these ideas together. Feel free to reflect on these questions:
Have you ever felt pressure to “find” your purpose in a way that felt overwhelming or limiting?
What assumptions about purpose do you think you’ve inherited from the dominant culture?
How would your life feel different if purpose was something you lived, rather than something you had to achieve?
Let’s begin this journey together and open the door to a new way of seeing purpose-one that is expansive, evolving, and deeply personal.
For more perspectives and inspiration, you might also enjoy my Cultural Shift book reviews theme, where I highlight authors who are reimagining society and pointing toward more life-giving possibilities.
Part of the Community & Connection path of Alternative Archetypes, The Webster is the weaver of connections, creating spaces of trust, empathy, and belonging. Unlike the Mediator or Peacemaker, the Webster works proactively to prevent division, weaving individuals into resilient communities. Their gift is reminding us that interdependence is our true strength. In today’s fragmented world, their presence is a powerful balm-showing us how unity, inclusivity, and shared stories can transform loneliness into belonging.
In The Unheard Cry for Meaning, Viktor Frankl builds on his logotherapy work to explore the crisis of meaning in modern life. This collection of essays and lectures critiques the reductionism of much 20th-century psychology and offers a compelling alternative: the human will to meaning. Frankl argues that many neuroses stem from an existential vacuum, not simply from trauma or biology, and calls for a psychology that affirms responsibility, purpose, and spiritual depth. The book is uneven in tone-some essays are scholarly, others more accessible—but the central insight resonates throughout. For readers drawn to soulful reflection and a deeper understanding of what drives human behaviour, this work offers a profound reminder: beneath many of our struggles lies an unheard cry-not for pleasure or power, but for meaning. It’s a timely and thoughtful read for those on a path of inner growth.
