When Did Adults Start Needing Gold Stars for Everything?
Once upon a time — back when adults didn’t need gold stars for showing up — people just did the damn job. No confetti. No “you got this!” pep rallies. Just showed up, did the work, clocked out. Revolutionary, right? That was before workplace entitlement slithered in wearing a participation ribbon and demanding a standing ovation for basic competency.
Now we’re deep in it. A corporate twilight zone where saying “Hey, I made it to work on time” is met with applause like they cured cancer on the commute. “Oh wow, you met your deadline? Alert the media. Call in the brass band. Let’s make this hero a custom cake shaped like their Outlook calendar.”
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We’ve coddled our way into chaos. Personal responsibility has been repackaged as an extra effort and mediocre effort has been dressed up like a miracle. You didn’t exceed expectations — you grazed them with a lukewarm shrug and still want cake.
Let’s talk generational whiplash. No shade to the Gen Z and millennial crew — bright minds, sharp tech game, good hustle — but some of y’all were marinated in praise since tee-ball and it shows. You got trophies for showing up, and now you want promotions for logging in.
The workplace isn’t Chuck E. Cheese. You don’t get prize tickets for making it through a Monday. Somewhere between “team-building exercises” and “wellness Fridays,” we forgot that a job… is still a job. Not a daycare with direct deposit.
And here’s the kicker — people now expect the boss to help them do their job. What in the TED Talk nonsense is that? If I have to do your job with you, I don’t need you — I need a refund. That’s not collaboration, that’s co-dependency.
Offices are turning into adult playpens. Gold stars, motivational posters, free snacks for breathing steadily through a task. Skip a compliment and boom — someone’s booking a therapy session because their Slack message didn’t get an emoji reaction.
Look, recognition matters — but we’ve overdosed on it. Every task doesn’t deserve a cookie. Sometimes the reward is knowing you didn’t suck. That’s it. That’s the dopamine hit. You did the job. Clap for your damn self.
So, here’s to the grinders — the real ones — who don’t need glitter to get through a Tuesday. Who handle business like grown-ass adults without needing a parade. No sticker required. No cheeseburger incentive. Just results.
Because doing your job isn’t heroic — it’s expected. And if that truth stings? Maybe you weren’t ready for the workforce.
Tired of clapping for mediocrity?
Drop a comment, share this rant, and tag someone who still thinks “doing their job” deserves a gold medal. Let’s bring back standards!
Written By:
William Thomas
This isn’t rage—it’s truth with the volume turned up.
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