"Our obsession with high performance doesn't appear out of nowhere. It is rooted in biology, reinforced by social systems, and amplified by modern incentives. At our core, we carry an enduring biological need for safety and belonging. This is not something we fulfill once and keep forever. It is an ongoing need, one we continually seek to maintain within the groups and systems we depend on."
"Many of the social groups we participate in are hierarchical, in which rank and status carry real consequences. Status shapes access to resources, protection, and opportunity. Higher status often brings more money, influence, options, and security. Modern performance cultures intensify this dynamic. In sport, business, and academia, we see increasingly powerful reward structures for individual achievement. Super-achievers are celebrated, promoted, and financially rewarded. Their success brings advantages that others simply do not receive."
Humans have an enduring biological need for safety and belonging that must be continually maintained within groups and systems. Many social groups are hierarchical, and rank and status shape access to resources, protection, and opportunity. Modern performance cultures magnify these dynamics by rewarding individual achievement with celebration, promotion, and financial advantages. Super-achievers receive benefits that others do not, making achievement a more effective route to security. When belonging becomes conditional on performance, people accept high risks, bodily harm, and public scrutiny to secure status. The combined forces of biology, social hierarchies, and contemporary incentives drive escalating performance demands.
Read at Psychology Today
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