When you’re consistently
exhausted, burned out, and jaded by your job, there seem to be two clear options: suck it up, or quit. But there’s a third option that, while it might not be new in practice, has been brought to light and recently given a name: quiet quitting. It’s the idea of mentally checking out, and making a point of performing only the essentials of what your job involves, and nothing more – the minimum of what will get you that pay check. Some people consider this idea to be “slacking”, with those who take this viewpoint perceiving quiet quitters to be lazy, unmotivated, and unambitious for not being willing to go above and beyond for their job. But there’s another side to this coin. The very fact that doing exactly what you are paid to do might be considered "slacking" is highly problematic – and points to some serious issues with work culture in the 21st century. Let’s explore the idea further.