The lingo of optimization sneaks the idea that we are machines into our common language and self-understanding. This should go without saying but it bears repeating: you and I are human beings, not machines. We are created, not manufactured. We are not “wired” in a certain way. There is no code in our veins. The heart cannot be hacked any more than the mind can be downloaded. These metaphors can be useful, but when we default to them, we risk enshrining productivity as the be all and end all of human existence.

The wellness industry sells you a version of yourself it can’t deliver. Hope lies elsewhere.