“Naturalizing exhaustion”: what Florencia Sichel revealed about the self-demand that nobody questions
Permanent self-demand impacts all ages and opens a door: that of recognizing that fatigue is not a virtue, but a sign.
“We have normalized exhaustion.” The phrase was not casual. It was the axis that ran through the interview that philosopher and author Florencia Sichel gave to the media "Infobae a la Tarde." There, she put into words a feeling shared by millions of people: the constant pressure to perform, produce, and meet standards that seem to have no limit.
During the conversation with the team made up of Manu Jove, Maia Jastreblansky, Paula Guardia Bourdin, and Tomás Trapé, Sichel presented her book All the Demands of the World and delved into the invisible mandates that permeate contemporary adulthood.
The reflection was direct. Fatigue has ceased to be a warning sign and has become a badge of honor.
Self-demand as an identity of the era
Sichel described the daily overload as a cultural mark. “We have normalized being exhausted, which is one of the characteristics of this era. It almost seems like a virtue to be exhausted,” she stated.
Social recognition, she explained, is often associated with hyperactivity. “The more you are running at a thousand, the more I congratulate you. So, the more exhausted we are, the better; the more we show what we do, the better.”
The logic is clear: constant productivity as the supreme value. Rest, on the other hand, is perceived as a lack of commitment.
This dynamic does not distinguish gender or age. “It’s not just something for women. Women have eight hundred demands, but men do too, and children do as well. Childhoods are not exempt either,” she affirmed.
The pressure crosses generations. Self-demand has become transversal.
The model of adulthood that no longer fits
One of the most resonant points of the interview was the idea of failure in the face of the traditional model of adulthood.
That ideal, she explained, functioned for decades as a guide. However, the social and economic context has changed. The expectations remained, but the conditions did not always follow.
The result is frustration. Constant comparison. A feeling of inadequacy.
The mandate not only demands professional success. It also imposes a perfect balance between work, social life, physical well-being, and permanent happiness.
Social media and the obligation to show oneself
The philosopher linked this pressure to the digital ecosystem. “It is amplified by social media. Now, it’s not just about being a good professional, but we also have to have a personal brand. We have to tell the world,” she pointed out.
Exposure has ceased to be optional. Identity is built in virtual showcases.
Sichel quoted philosopher Byung-Chul Han and his concept of the “society of exhaustion.” As she explained, there is a permanent self-imposition: “There is a gaze that is constantly monitoring your activities and tells you a constant ‘no,’ even if no one is there.”
The demand no longer comes only from outside. It has internalized. “We self-exploit and justify it,” she affirmed, echoing the thinker’s thesis.
The trap of mandatory happiness
Another central axis was the culture of permanent positivity.
“Bad self-help shifts all responsibility onto the individual. There is an obligation to be happy as a very important value compared to other emotions,” she warned.
The consequence is silent but profound. “You can’t even express that you had a bad day because you’re negative. For everything, you have to have a positive attitude, which is hell. No one can sustain it.”
The denial of emotions considered “negative” generates guilt. And guilt, according to Sichel, operates as a social institution.
“Guilt is the great mandate that operates as a social institution and does us a lot of harm.”
The philosopher reclaimed anguish as a valid emotion. Not as failure, but as an inevitable part of the human experience.
Anguish as a compass
In a context where productivity and constant happiness are rewarded, recognizing anguish can be uncomfortable.
“The problem is that we cannot stand being anxious. And there is no possibility that it will distance you from your own desires if you do not go through that discomfort,” she explained.
Anguish, far from being an obstacle, can become a signal that something needs to be reviewed.
Accepting limits. Recognizing fatigue. Questioning inherited expectations.
The challenge is not to eliminate the demand but to review it.
Childhoods and new generations under pressure
One of the most significant moments of the talk was when Sichel highlighted that pressure does not begin in adulthood.
Childhoods, she said, are also marked by high standards: academic performance, extracurricular activities, digital exposure.
The ideal of success is internalized from an early age. The margin for error is reduced.
In that context, the normalization of exhaustion appears earlier and earlier.
Thinking to resist
“It helps me a lot to process all this because it makes me think,” Sichel expressed when referring to the exchange with her audience.
Thinking as an act of resistance. Reflecting as a way to question cultural inertia.
The interview on Infobae a la Tarde did not offer quick recipes. Nor magical solutions. It posed questions.
Is it possible to redefine success?
Can we build a less punitive adulthood?
Can we accept fatigue without turning it into a badge of value?
In a culture that celebrates “being at a thousand,” stopping can be subversive.