The Plight of Potential

The Plight of Potential

Embracing Solitude in Millennial Life and Modern Work

By Emerson Csorba

Drawing on an international body of case studies from leading millennial networks, "The Plight of Potential" shows how millennials can live deeper and more enriching lives by reflecting on the self, placing value on solitude and resisting the feeling that they must constantly connect and share.

Hardback, 162 Pages

ISBN:9781783086573

March 2019

£19.99, $34.95

  • About This Book
  • Reviews
  • Author Information
  • Series
  • Table of Contents
  • Links
  • Podcasts

About This Book

Immersed in a hyperconnected world, millennials are pressured by a lingering feeling that no matter their achievements, they can always do more. Conventional wisdom suggests that millennials must create and maintain personal brands while striving to achieve their potential. But this mentality, while initially appealing for many, breeds anxiety and insecurity. In "The Plight of Potential", Emerson Csorba shows how millennials can live deeper and more enriching lives by reflecting on the self, placing value on solitude and resisting the feeling that they must constantly connect and share. Drawing on case studies of millennials from networks such as the Global Shapers Community, Csorba offers suggestions on how millennials can thrive in a world that favours immediacy and superficiality.

Millennials live in a world of opportunity, characterized by the constant pursuit of personal growth and a belief that to hit the pause button would be catastrophic to a career. Within this context, Csorba explores ideas such as the ruthlessness of comparison amongst millennials and outlines guidelines for overcoming these pressures. Advocating for a long view of work and life, Csorba builds on hundreds of interviews with millennials across the world as well as research at the University of Cambridge.

The themes that Csorba explores in "The Plight of Potential" are not unique – they have existed for centuries, and do not pertain exclusively to millennials – but in a society that glamourizes the individual while paradoxically discouraging solitude and self-reflection, they are radical. Both practical and critical, this book is timely and refreshing for millennials looking to overcome the social pressures around them and advance their work and lives, while also cultivating the skills and qualities required to better know themselves in the process.

Reviews

“The very nature of work is changing dramatically. This affects not just economic prosperity but social relations and sense of self. As Millennials in the Modern Workforce shows extremely well, the implications are profound for work itself, for social structure and for the loneliness or happiness of individuals. Both those who haven’t yet grasped the depth of change and those living through it need to pay attention.”
—Craig Calhoun, University Professor of Social Sciences, Arizona State University, USA

Author Information

Emerson Csorba is president of Csorba & Company Ltd., where he leads projects involving social network analysis, intergenerational engagement and political campaign management. Born and raised in Canada, Csorba now lives in the United Kingdom, where he is a Clarendon Scholar at the University of Oxford.

Series

No series for this title.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments; Introduction; Part I Work and Careers; Chapter 1 The Spirit of Work; Chapter 2 Misunderstandings of Knowledge and Skill; Chapter 3 Precarious Work and Narratives of Uncertainty; Part II Hyperconnectedness and Networked Life; Chapter 4 Hyperconnectedness and the Perils of Being “On”; Chapter 5 Impact and “High- Potential” Networks; Chapter 6 Comparison, Success Stories and Lists; Part III Solitude, Aloneness and Loneliness; Chapter 7 Loneliness and Aloneness; Chapter 8 Solitude and Aloneness; Chapter 9 Access, Community and Education; Conclusion; Bibliography; Index.

Links

No Podcasts for this title.
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