Against Work-Life Balance

Despite how it’s usually perceived, the idea of “work-life balance” is fundamentally pessimistic. It assumes that “life” is engaging while “work” is alienating. We compartmentalize the two because we feel we have no control over “work.” In other words, we accept the defeat against “work” and try to protect the “life” part as a refuge from it.

But plenty of what we do in “life” is alienating too, unless you genuinely enjoy cleaning bathrooms and running errands. The difference is that we feel more agency over the “life” part. We’ve simply surrendered the possibility of transforming “work,” drawing boundaries around how much “life” we’re willing to sacrifice.

The real balance isn’t between work and life but between alienating and self-actualizing forms of work. Since both exist in every domain, the distinction between work and life collapses. Our goal should be to expand the self-actualizing parts of everything we do, regardless of category.

Although alienation was one of Marx’s central ideas, it’s rarely discussed in this context. Even if communism failed to solve alienation, Marx’s concept remains valid. No activity is inherently alienating; it depends on whether it allows self-actualization. Each person’s path differs. For some, cleaning bathrooms is precisely what they need, as in Wim Wenders’s Perfect Days.

What matters less is the nature of the task than the freedom you have in executing it. Occasionally, you may be lucky enough that your employer’s expectations align with your own, but that’s rare. The task itself might be as trivial as designing junk mail; yet, if you’re free to solve it in your own way, the process can reveal something about yourself. Conversely, even designing a video game can be alienating.

Finding employers, clients, or bosses who allow that process of self-actualization isn’t as rare as it seems. They don’t need to have read Marx; they’ve simply learned, from experience, what alienation feels like. Seeking them out should be your real priority if you’re struggling with “balance.” After all, most of your waking, productive hours are spent working; those hours should be the least alienating of all.