> People were half glad to hear that I prioritized my family, and half disconcerted that I’d set my career aside. People don't really know what to do when you

> People were half glad to hear that I prioritized my family, and half disconcerted that I’d set my career aside. People don't really know what to do when you demonstrate you don't have total devotion to an organization. Even if it's for a "higher calling," in the case of care, it still feels like they see it as not fully devoted. There's also this weird undercurrent that your career must be the focal point at all times in your life and that you must be constantly growing and fulfilled in it. > In many parts of North America, it’s increasingly true that women don’t have the freedom not to work. Yeah, this is really gross. And the norms are pushed by those who made the choice to not have a family, or to outsource/ignore theirs. In effect, it becomes a game of, "who can sacrifice the most to capitalism?" And games like that favor those who are broken/not smart enough to throw more of their lives away. > Our culture wants men to be extremely productive and committed to wealth generation. This drive objectifies men, and men are smart enough to realize they can't fight it, so they instead try to channel it. But it's not at all the same as an intrinsic motivation, it's an extrinsic threat of sorts. It dehumanizes men to see themselves primarily as providers rather than people. This makes it easier to prioritize their career at the expense of other things.