Grind and Reward: When the juice isn’t worth the squeeze anymore
“God establishes a just state even if disbelievers rule it, and He does not establish an unjust state even if believers rule it.”
Ibn Taymiyyah
The Death of Desire!
The next false god is dying out.
For decades, ambition and desire have been the gods of all gods in modern society. A religion where working late into the night, sleeping only four hours, and then waking up for your “productivity morning routine” is the established law of our new deity, in which pleasure and comfort are the supreme causes of our creation and life on Earth.
But just like any false gods, their time is up, and people seem to be waking up and transitioning from rise-and-take-it-all to taking a break and getting a good night’s sleep, from wanting and dreaming to withdrawing and letting go! A quiet revolution, especially amongst the youngest of us.
For decades, ambition and desire have been the gods of all gods in modern society. A religion where working late into the night, sleeping only four hours, and then waking up for your “productivity morning routine” is the established law of our new deity, in which pleasure and comfort are the supreme causes of our creation and life on Earth.
But just like any false gods, their time is up, and people seem to be waking up and transitioning from rise-and-take-it-all to taking a break and getting a good night’s sleep, from wanting and dreaming to withdrawing and letting go! A quiet revolution, especially amongst the youngest of us.
A Day-to-Day Injustice.
A typical person in our modern society is like a high-performance phone with little time to recharge, so it often runs on low battery and power-saving mode, trying to do as much as possible with the remaining energy. And for what: for basic human needs—paying the bills and putting food on the table—so even our desires have become mediocre and cheap. Nobody dreams of becoming president one day, discovering a cure for a disease, or becoming the world’s best poet or writer… because nobody has the time or energy for that.
Because nowadays, working hard just for a modest apartment and a few groceries has crushed every ambition for a better future, the one-way financial and political street has turned every dream into a fairy tale. Societies are becoming economic and psychological prisons, and individuals are trying to break free… by turning their backs on it all.
We are witnessing the death of desire. And that’s what happens when you keep pushing individuals to the edge: they end up crossing it.
Because nowadays, working hard just for a modest apartment and a few groceries has crushed every ambition for a better future, the one-way financial and political street has turned every dream into a fairy tale. Societies are becoming economic and psychological prisons, and individuals are trying to break free… by turning their backs on it all.
We are witnessing the death of desire. And that’s what happens when you keep pushing individuals to the edge: they end up crossing it.
When The Juice Isn’t Worth The Squeeze Anymore
All the data indicate a trend of social withdrawal: less marriage, less sexual desire, less ownership, and less interest in achievement or competition… which, at first glance, might seem like apathy, disinterest, or even laziness. However, upon closer inspection, it is more about intimidation; the average citizen is tired of constantly being pushed around and intimidated by the unnatural ecosystem he is forced to adapt to, an ecosystem shaped by toxic social injustice.
Don’t get me wrong: this is definitely not a choice; it’s not that we are wisely or intentionally opting for a new state of “peace” or “waking up.” We are being compelled into it. People are giving up, retreating, and dying inside because there’s no way out, and that’s both dangerous and paradoxical.
The paradox is that society functions on desire: desire drives you to invent, build, go to war, discover … and most importantly, desire makes you a human being.
Don’t get me wrong: this is definitely not a choice; it’s not that we are wisely or intentionally opting for a new state of “peace” or “waking up.” We are being compelled into it. People are giving up, retreating, and dying inside because there’s no way out, and that’s both dangerous and paradoxical.
The paradox is that society functions on desire: desire drives you to invent, build, go to war, discover … and most importantly, desire makes you a human being.
The Impact
On the one hand, the moment you stop desiring and wanting is the moment you stop being an ambitious, hardworking worker and a loyal consumer. And for the 1% rich at the top, that’s the moment you stop mattering and become a liability.
On the other hand, you stop caring. And history shows us that social injustices were addressed by individuals who cared, driven by the desire for change and a better life; they defied the odds and altered the system to their advantage. Therefore, reaching the point of losing our desire for change and progress as a last resort should serve as a warning of the unpredictable events to come.
And here, I am not talking about an abstract sci-fi, chaotic, far-future; I am talking about the current economic and ethical collapse, the societal fade to black, where each night people put their heads on the pillow, harboring resentment about the day that passed and dreading waking up the next morning.
On the other hand, you stop caring. And history shows us that social injustices were addressed by individuals who cared, driven by the desire for change and a better life; they defied the odds and altered the system to their advantage. Therefore, reaching the point of losing our desire for change and progress as a last resort should serve as a warning of the unpredictable events to come.
And here, I am not talking about an abstract sci-fi, chaotic, far-future; I am talking about the current economic and ethical collapse, the societal fade to black, where each night people put their heads on the pillow, harboring resentment about the day that passed and dreading waking up the next morning.
The Origins
By now, you might think you know where I’m going with all of this: the rich are the problem, and we are the victims… You wish!
The rich are the outcome, my friend; we are the factory, and they are the product. When individuals in any society idolize their desires and hold to luxury at all costs, the outcome is a group of merchants who promise that luxury everyone seeks. The rich are the chovels sellers in a gold rush.
The 1% are just human beings, like us, who happen to have exactly what we aspire to and have built their entire empire around our desire to make our lives easier, shinier, and incredibly comfortable: on-demand entertainment, instant loans, endless productivity, and algorithms that anticipate our deepest wants.
It is reckless impulses that got you into suffocating debt and keep you a slave to your boss; the craving to impress others led you onto an unaffordable spending rollercoaster and a constant need for more; the illusion of being special, strong, and badass caused sleepless nights and toxic personal relationships… and the list goes on and on.
Have you seen ˹O Prophet˺ those who have taken their own desires as their god? ˹And so˺ Allah left them to stray knowingly, sealed their hearing and hearts, and placed a cover on their sight. Who then can guide them after Allah? Will you ˹all˺ not then be mindful? 45:23
Now, enough about the problem, let’s discuss the solutions.
The rich are the outcome, my friend; we are the factory, and they are the product. When individuals in any society idolize their desires and hold to luxury at all costs, the outcome is a group of merchants who promise that luxury everyone seeks. The rich are the chovels sellers in a gold rush.
The 1% are just human beings, like us, who happen to have exactly what we aspire to and have built their entire empire around our desire to make our lives easier, shinier, and incredibly comfortable: on-demand entertainment, instant loans, endless productivity, and algorithms that anticipate our deepest wants.
It is reckless impulses that got you into suffocating debt and keep you a slave to your boss; the craving to impress others led you onto an unaffordable spending rollercoaster and a constant need for more; the illusion of being special, strong, and badass caused sleepless nights and toxic personal relationships… and the list goes on and on.
Have you seen ˹O Prophet˺ those who have taken their own desires as their god? ˹And so˺ Allah left them to stray knowingly, sealed their hearing and hearts, and placed a cover on their sight. Who then can guide them after Allah? Will you ˹all˺ not then be mindful? 45:23
Now, enough about the problem, let’s discuss the solutions.
“Have you seen ˹O Prophet˺ those who have taken their own desires as their god? ˹And so˺ Allah left them to stray knowingly, sealed their hearing and hearts, and placed a cover on their sight. Who then can guide them after Allah? Will you ˹all˺ not then be mindful?”
Quran 45:23
The Way Out
If desires were our way in, values are our only way out.
It begins with the heart, and ends with the heart.
Desires are meant to be channeled and controlled; the well-being of a society depends on individuals who master their desires and instincts, not the other way around. History and religion have shown us that only men and, by extension, societies with high values, have achieved peace and justice.
When your heart is clouded with anxious desires and unhealthy love for worldly life, it decays and deteriorates with each sigh of regret for a dime you lose or a promotion you miss.
Our salvation is to take our hearts back to school, re-teach them what is truly beneficial and what is superficial, unlearn envy and losing control in front of shiny things, embrace discomfort, relearn to love neighbors, colleagues, and cherish partners more than gains and achievements. The cure is to write down a new list of priorities, to live by the principle that God, Values, Health, and Family come first, and the rest are just tools to help achieve that.
When you value justice, no politician can thrive on your silence; when you value dignity, no job will oppress you; when you value family, lust won’t blind you… When you value God, every juice is worth the squeeze, and money comes last.
With strong values, our society will have brave journalists, honest judges, reliable doctors, trustworthy employees, and wise CEOs… We’ll have a healthy society that doesn’t rely on stocks and profit.
And some of us are finally realizing: capitalism is designed for the market, not for homes and families. Human interactions require a higher level of ethics and regulation; just as desires need discipline and guidance, not a free-for-all market.
It begins with the heart, and ends with the heart.
Desires are meant to be channeled and controlled; the well-being of a society depends on individuals who master their desires and instincts, not the other way around. History and religion have shown us that only men and, by extension, societies with high values, have achieved peace and justice.
When your heart is clouded with anxious desires and unhealthy love for worldly life, it decays and deteriorates with each sigh of regret for a dime you lose or a promotion you miss.
Our salvation is to take our hearts back to school, re-teach them what is truly beneficial and what is superficial, unlearn envy and losing control in front of shiny things, embrace discomfort, relearn to love neighbors, colleagues, and cherish partners more than gains and achievements. The cure is to write down a new list of priorities, to live by the principle that God, Values, Health, and Family come first, and the rest are just tools to help achieve that.
When you value justice, no politician can thrive on your silence; when you value dignity, no job will oppress you; when you value family, lust won’t blind you… When you value God, every juice is worth the squeeze, and money comes last.
With strong values, our society will have brave journalists, honest judges, reliable doctors, trustworthy employees, and wise CEOs… We’ll have a healthy society that doesn’t rely on stocks and profit.
And some of us are finally realizing: capitalism is designed for the market, not for homes and families. Human interactions require a higher level of ethics and regulation; just as desires need discipline and guidance, not a free-for-all market.
It Should End With Us
And if you think it’s too late for you, at least do it for your kids. Help future generations uphold values and live by healthy convictions and principles. Start by admitting that our way of life and what we’ve been taught about achievements and happiness are wrong and delusional, then maybe… maybe we still have hope for the future of this world.
