By Joan Ogeto
We Have Entered a New Era Of Societal Control
In these turbulent times of economic instability, the cost of living has skyrocketed, unemployment has increased, and investment has decreased. This situation has made it harder to make ends meet. While a few privileged individuals live luxurious lives, the majority work tirelessly just to get by. The growing gap between rich and poor, along with societal pressure, has driven many to desperate actions.
Selling kidneys, which used to be an act of life-saving donation, has turned into a grim business. Parents now warn their children about the dangers of organ trafficking, with stories of kidnappings and illegal organ harvesting making headlines. Platforms like OnlyFans highlight how people, especially women, seek financial opportunities, showing the complex balance between empowerment and exploitation. This harsh reality raises a disturbing question: is the struggle to survive forcing people to abandon traditional moral values, or are they being pushed into making moral compromises to stay afloat?
We have entered a new era of societal control, one far more intricate and subtle than the totalitarian dystopias envisioned by authors like George Orwell in the novel 1984. This form of control extends beyond overt coercion and surveillance. Although fear and force occasionally surface, the predominant method relies on individuals’ voluntary participation in their own exploitation. It is a self-sustaining system where citizens reduce themselves to mere consumers and human capital. In this culture, people monitor and compare each other’s work ethic and achievements, perpetuating self-exploitation through social and economic pressures.
This paradoxical system makes self-exploitation appear as freedom and flexibility, with individuals becoming both slaves to capital and, at the same time, the masters of their subjugation. One of the most acute manifestations of this form of control is the rise of hustle culture—a trend in modern self-help that glorifies relentless grinding, often at the cost of well-being and personal fulfillment.
The lengths to which people will go for survival are becoming increasingly extreme. While working multiple jobs or making sacrifices once defined desperation, the situation has spiralled into morally uncharted territory. In Kenya, for instance, the illegal organ trade has emerged as a shocking reality, with young men being coerced or lured into selling their kidneys. Often, these transactions provide only meager sums of money or the most basic means of subsistence, revealing the harrowing depths to which survival instincts can push individuals. And while selling one’s organs may seem like an extreme example, it highlights a broader phenomenon: the erosion of moral and ethical boundaries in the pursuit of survival.
Media reports have repeatedly exposed the persistent issue of illicit kidney harvesting in Kenya, a sobering testament to the length desperation can drive individuals. Since 2019, stories like that of Joseph Japiny have laid bare the disturbing reality of this trade. Confronted with pressing financial challenges, Japiny sold his kidney to an organ trafficking syndicate, receiving less than $1,000 and a motorbike in return. Such accounts shed light on the difficult choices many are forced to make in their pursuit for survival, where the boundaries between necessity and compromise become increasingly blurred.
Hustle culture glorifies the relentless pursuit of hard work, often branding it as the ultimate path to success and personal transformation. It pushes people to strive not just to survive, but to thrive, constantly reaching for a better life. However, this relentless chase is fundamentally unsustainable. When driven by desperation, the pursuit of success often yields fleeting gains and often comes with significant long-term costs. The pressure to keep up, fuelled by societal expectations and the constant competition with peers, can push individuals toward extreme and sometimes ethically questionable decisions. As the saying goes, “comparison is the thief of joy”, and in today’s hypercompetitive climate, it is robbing many not only of their happiness, but also their well-being. Many find themselves sacrificing their health, values and even their peace of mind in the relentless pursuit to meet the insatiable demands of a culture that equates personal worth with material accumulation.
Those who resort to extreme measures, such as selling their kidneys, may experience temporary financial relief, but they also expose themselves to long-term health risks and unforeseen repercussions. Similarly, individuals who turn to platforms like OnlyFans may achieve immediate financial gains, yet the emotional toll and moral conflicts they endure can lead to lingering inner turmoil. Over time, feelings of guilt and shame may arise as they grapple with the knowledge that they compromised their values in the name of survival.
While competition can motivate progress, when internalized as a measure of self-worth, it can lead individuals to harmful and self-destructive decisions, ultimately undermining their well-being and at extreme lengths, eroding their sense of identity. As mentioned above, this erosion mirrors the themes explored in George Orwell’s novel 1984, while, today’s economic climate reveals a comparable phenomenon, with platforms such as OnlyFans. On the surface, it appears to empower individuals by offering financial independence through monetizing their bodies. However, this is operating within a framework of coercive economic pressures, where participation is often driven by the need to survive. Much like Orwell’s citizens who internalized their subjugation, modern self-exploitation blurs the lines between freedom and coercion, forcing individual’s grapple with whether their choices stem from autonomy or desperation.
In today’s society, the individual is the central figure, driven by self-interest in the pursuit of capital, whether material or social. The focus has shifted towards individualism, with the primary concern being personal gain, particularly in wealth and status. While not everyone subscribes to this mindset, many are driven by the desire to achieve financial freedom in ways that promise to improve their lives. In this age of rampant capitalism, people’s minds are conditioned to seek self-exploitation, relentlessly chasing after external validation and wealth, often without pausing to question the true cost of such pursuits. As a result, individuals unwittingly participate in systems that disproportionately benefit others, all while potentially compromising their own well-being.
Building on the concept of self-exploitation, philosopher Byung-Chul Han delves deeper into this phenomenon through his idea of the ‘Achievement Subject’. In this framework, individuals find themselves trapped in a never-ending cycle of self-improvement, relentlessly working to meet societal standards of success. The constant drive to acquire new skills, surpass personal limits, and compare oneself to the curated, idealized versions of other ‘achievement subjects’ becomes all-consuming. Phrases like ‘grind in your 20s, hustle in your 30s, relax in your 40s’ only serve to reinforce this mindset, suggesting that success can only be achieved through ceaseless striving. However, therein lies the paradox: while people strive to build themselves up, they often lose touch with their true selves. This pursuit of external validation, disguised as self-improvement, can lead to a hollow sense of accomplishment, leaving individuals disconnected from their authentic identities.
In this context, what alternatives exist? How can one break free from the chains of relentless self-exploitation? A potential path forward lies in reclaiming balance by prioritizing mental and physical wellness over the unending pursuit of external success. Genuine growth, after all, is not solely defined by what we achieve, but by our ability to be present, content, aligned with our core values. By embracing moments of stillness and reflection, we can redefine success on our own terms, stepping away from the pressures of hustle culture and the constant chase for capital. In doing so, we reclaim our autonomy, crafting a life where personal fulfilment and authenticity are the ultimate goals.
In the race to define success and achieve personal growth, many have sacrificed more than they realize. Ambition has been redefined to prioritize external rewards over inner fulfilment. People are urged to push boundaries, but in doing so, they often lose sight of what truly matters: their well-being, their values, and their sense of self. The pursuit of capital, whether financial or social, has become an all-consuming obsession, prompting actions that often go unquestioned and come at a high cost. True success is not only measured by what we accumulate or the milestones we achieve, but by how authentically we live, how deeply we engage with our values, and how we protect out mental and physical health. We must redefine success on our own terms, independent of societal pressures and the hollow allure of constant hustle.
To break free from this cycle, we must start by acknowledging the consequences of our pursuits and make a conscious decision to prioritize what is genuinely meaningful. In a world that constantly teaches us to chase after external validation, the real challenge lies in looking inward and embracing the quiet strength found in stillness, self-awareness, and intentional living. Only then can we begin to rebuild a healthier, more balanced society, one where ambition no longer serves as a destructive force, but becomes a catalyst for genuine meaningful progress.
References
Cılızoğlu, M. D. (2024). Online sex work of women on OnlyFans: Oppression or empowerment? ResearchGate. http://dx.doi.org/10.33831/jws.v25i1.492
Okumu, W. (2024). Human trafficking / Kidneys for a living: Inside Western Kenya’s illicit organ trade. ENACT Observer. https://enactafrica.org/enact-observer/kidneys-for-a-living-inside-western-kenya-s-illicit-organ-trade
Resta, E., Ellenberg, M., Kruglanski, A. W., & Pierro, A. (2023). Ambition and extreme behavior: Relative deprivation leads ambitious individuals to self-sacrifice. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1108006
Joan Ogeto is a Law Graduate (LLB Keele University UK) and writer. She is pursuing the Advocates Training Program (ATP) at the Kenya School of Law.
Email: ogetojoan@gmail.com
