Honest conversations about the psychology of modern work culture
Work made me a better mother, though no one wanted to hear it. “Don’t you miss them terribly?” The question came from a colleague at a business lunch, her voice thick with judgment. I should have lied, should have manufactured the expected tears of maternal separation. A better mother would have, wouldn’t she? Instead, I …
Some meetings exist only to prove they happened. I recognized the exact moment my meeting with the company’s chief technology officer shifted from possibility to performance. His eyes glazed over at my proposal like I’d just started reading him the tax code. His thumb flicked up lazily on his phone. A barely contained sigh. A …
The workplace demands more than just labor — it demands performance. “What are your weekend plans, Corinne?” my manager asked, coffee mug in hand. Her smile carried the expectation of enthusiastic sharing, of keeping up our daily performance of workplace intimacy. I had played this scene before. The script called for something upbeat — maybe …
Some of the most meaningful friendships come with an expiration date. The waiter set our plates down. Deanna poked at her ravioli, not eating. Outside, the wind slammed against the windows hard enough to shake them. “My husband thinks I’m ridiculous,” she said. “Getting emotional about someone I’ve known six months. A work friend.” She …
“Are you even listening to yourself right now?” my sister asked over the phone. I had just spent fifteen minutes ranting about my coworker who consistently missed deadlines, forcing me to pick up the slack. Again. “You’re the one who recommended this book,” I replied defensively. “I thought you’d want to hear how I’m applying …
The first time I said my salary out loud, I felt like I had broken an unspoken rule — one that was never meant to protect me. The morning of the tech conference, I sat in my hotel room revising my slides about industry trends. My practiced talking points about cloud architecture felt hollow against …