Meritocracy is a term coined in the United States (in English: meritocracy, composed of the Latin meritum «merit» and -cracy «-cracy») and introduced in Italy in the Seventies.
Is there really a recipe for happiness? For some, even just hypothesizing it is childish; for others, there are relatively simple answers to such complex questions. This is the case with that life philosophy born at the end of the last decade which sees self-gratification as the main path and whose motto is: «Reward and indulge». Reward yourself and indulge. A mantra that, in short, would represent the strategy to follow to survive in this increasingly anxious and connected era. Its commandments have been known for some time: to be happy, it is necessary to carve out time for oneself, even taking a break, without feeling guilty, and to detach from what surrounds us. A teaching as old as the world, which we have apparently forgotten or neglected.
Simple, but not easy
If unplugging and taking private moments for gratification can bring great benefits to our inner flow and psychophysical health, it is essential that these moments are truly enjoyed to the fullest, not compromised by the lingering thoughts of what we are neglecting or what we will have to do afterward.
Sometimes, common-sense statements are confirmed by factual evidence and scientific theories. In his book “In Pausa”, Andrew Smart states that while our psyche is equipped to handle intense workloads, the brain needs moments of inactivity — and frequent ones — to function properly. In the short term, hyperactivity disrupts creativity, self-awareness, and emotional well-being.
Shaping and giving substance to our happiness is not an abstract concept but rather an exercise, a constant practice of care. It is crucial to follow simple — though not easy — principles. To make each aspect of our daily life fair, that is, to recognize that every moment we live, both in our private and public life, has equal dignity. To give more value to our time, recognizing it as life’s main resource, and to manage it as such. To listen to our emotions and needs, avoiding acting only in response to external stimuli, like pinballs reacting without thinking or internalizing. Other critical and difficult challenges include avoiding letting daily life become pure routine and keeping obsessive thinking out of our mental patterns, as the obsession with doing everything immediately is the fast track to unhappiness and dissatisfaction.
Regrets from the Great Resignation
Another essential suggestion is choosing a proactive attitude in order to increase our ability to decide and influence the events that affect us, instead of being passive and subject to them. Of course, this also means learning to say no, because life is made of compromises, but not necessarily in everything.
Globally, the pandemic period actually elevated “saying no” to a cultural phenomenon, as in the case of the Great Resignation, the wave of resignations in 2021 and 2022 that involved an enormous number of workers, tens of millions in the U.S. alone. In today’s social, political, and sociological context — completely upended by the pandemic — signs of this trend persist, such as videos uploaded to TikTok with the hashtags quitmyjob and quittok. Stories that rack up hundreds of millions of views, with one simple message: I quit because I can’t take it anymore. Among the most frequent reasons for leaving a job, burnout is the most cited, especially among young people. The question that needs to be asked — urgently — is how to address this generational shift in work approach culturally, politically, and sociologically.
A study conducted in the U.S. sheds a very different and rather grim light on the Great Resignation — a trend driven by the desire for a new approach to work and better work-life balance. This research involved 825 workers who changed jobs, and 354 employers. The results are surprising: 80% of respondents said they regretted their decision, a phenomenon already dubbed the Great Regret. Although the sample is not entirely statistically representative, given the scale of the trend, the insights the research provides are extremely interesting.
Professionals who changed jobs and industries — the majority — are more likely to fall into the regret category. Among generations, Gen Z reports the most regret. And even the search for a new job after resigning didn’t go as many had hoped: about half took between 3 and 6 months to find a new job, while 4 out of 10 took even longer — from 7 months onward. Only 1 in 10 was re-employed in less than three months. Only half of those who found a new job said their new position improved their mental health and work-life balance.
Round trip
A truly striking result from this research is that around two-thirds of respondents said they tried to return to their previous job, but the attempt was successful in only about a quarter of the cases. In both cases — those who left for good and those who returned — we have precise indications of what was most missed about the former job. At the top of the list were “former” colleagues, in 29% of cases, followed by salary, bonus structure, health coverage, free lunches, management, work-life balance, remote work, working from home, company culture, nature of the work, and flexible hours — all mentioned by 20% of respondents.
Those who returned to their previous company often gained significant advantages, mostly of two kinds: work-life balance and economic conditions. 38% of those re-hired obtained better remote work conditions, 34% gained more flexible hours, and 24% received bonuses and various incentives. Large companies were the least likely to offer benefits to returnees, while small and medium-sized ones were much more open.
What’s surprising is the willingness of previous employers to rehire those who had left. True, only 27% of surveyed employers have already done so, but only 30% say they have no intention of doing it. A solid 43% say they haven’t yet but intend to. This broad openness to second chances can be interpreted in different ways. For one, it means that employers have at least partially understood the deep and sometimes urgent needs that led many to look for change — aligning themselves, so to speak, with the spirit of the times and the evolving sensibilities of workers.
But it also highlights the key role of cohesion and cooperation between human beings: (re)bringing on board competent people who foster harmony within the team (remember, the most-missed aspect was the former colleagues) creates more effective and productive environments and workflows. Which brings us back to where we started this post: to the centrality of the human being, their well-being, and their balance — to be pursued and cared for with constant attention, and to always be kept at the top of our priorities.
