Sunday Pick: How to stop devoting yourself to your job (w/ Sarah Jaffe) | How to Be a Better Human
Aug 31, 2025•41 min
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Summary
Author Sarah Jaffe explores the emotional toll of modern work, arguing that devotion to jobs often leads to exploitation, exhaustion, and isolation. Drawing from her books, "Work Won't Love You Back" and "From the Ashes," she connects personal grief to broader societal losses, like community decline and climate change. Jaffe highlights the importance of collective action and community support in navigating both individual suffering and the challenges of a world on fire, encouraging listeners to re-evaluate their relationship to work and advocate for the public good.Episode description
Sarah Jaffe is the author of Work Won’t Love You Back: How Devotion to Our Jobs Keep Us Exploited, Exhausted, and Alone. She and Chris discuss the emotional toll of modern work culture and the importance of community. They also dive into Sarah’s newest book, From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire, and explore the idea that between pandemics, climate change, and economic inequality, many of us are feeling a huge (and often unacknowledged sense of grief. Sarh explains the concept of “disenfranchised grief” and how collective mourning can invite meaningful social connections.
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