Developing self awareness in leadership: What is 'internalised capitalism'?
You know those moments where you hear a phrase or concept, and a lightbulb just switches on? Well, that happened to me yesterday.
Do you recognise any of these in yourself?
The belief that work has to be hard.
The belief that if work ISN'T hard, then it's not worthwhile or you're cheating somehow.
The belief that if you're successful at something, then someone else has to fail. And if someone else wins, then you'll lose.
Setting yourself a goal to 'rest'. Yes, an actual measurable goal. To rest.
Commenting, when in other countries, about the amount of people just sitting around on plastic stools doing nothing all day.
Determining whether a day is 'good' or 'bad' dependent on how productive it's been. Determining your worth as a human being dependent on how productive you are.
Staying in jobs you absolutely f**king hate because of the money, status, benefits or stability.
If any of this resonates, then you may well have 'internalised capitalism'.
I had never heard this term before yesterday. I'd worked with clients on internalised racism, internalised homophobia, and internalised misogyny - where we absorb social messages about race, sexuality or gender which result in hating or fearing an aspect of who we are. And I'm NOT equating internalised capitalism with these experiences, which are all incredibly painful and limiting if left unresolved.
But learning this concept of 'internalised capitalism' HAS been enlightening for me. And here's why. Because it creates CHOICE.
Capitalism is an economic and political system where growth is king and resources are scarce (therefore we're all in competition with each other). And yes, it's the system many of us have grown up in.
But it IS just a system. It is NOT truth. And therefore there is the possibility for you to define success, value and worth in other ways. Because nowhere in capitalism does happiness, love or wellbeing feature, unless as a means to more growth.
What do you think? Have you internalised capitalism? And how would your life be different if you choose to step outside of that system? How would you define success?
Love,
Victoria x
PS - I won't lie, I squealed when I found a capitalist tarot meme.