EP 383: Extra Context: Rugged Individualism

Has individualism made it harder to navigate the 21st-century economy?

Show Notes

“Rugged individualism” is the very language we speak in America. It shapes the way we approach work, family, and society. And rugged individualism has a direct impact on the decisions we make about our businesses and careers. In this short Extra Context bonus, I unpack where rugged individualism comes from and highlight a different way forward.

Footnotes:

• Rugged Individualism Monologue by Terry Smith 
• "The Myth of Rugged Individualism” by Robert Reich
• “We’d Like To Thank You, Herbert Hoover” from Annie
• Individualism and Economic Order by Friedrich Hayek
• Hope in the Dark by Rebecca Solnit
• “The Philosophers: Loneliness & Totalitarianism” on Vox Conversations

 
 

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What is What Works?

"Work" is broken. We're overcommitted, underutilized, and out of whack. But it doesn't have to be this way. What Works is a podcast about rethinking work, business, and leadership as we navigate the 21st-century economy. When you're an entrepreneur, independent worker, or employee who doesn't want to lose yourself to the whims of late-stage capitalism, this show is for you. Host Tara McMullin covers money, management, culture, media, philosophy, and more to figure out what's working (and what's not) today. Tara offers a distinctly interdisciplinary approach to deep-dive analysis of how we work and how work shapes us.