Unity Center
in western North Carolina

The Protestant Ethic: Friend or Foe?

Mental and emotional disorders are far from being a rare occurrence in countries that value a Protestant Work Ethic. In the US alone, 44.3 million adults or approximately 1 in 5 men and woman, will experience a diagnosable mental health disorder in any given year. In addition, 4 of the 10 leading causes of disability in the US are attributed to Mental Health issues. Two of the most prevalent expressions of these heath imbalances are depression and anxiety, with twice as many women being treated for these disturbances as men (NAMI). This particular statistic may have more to do with greater cultural receptivity toward woman experiencing these types of conditions than our culture allows for men. In either case, although mental health issues often greatly stigmatize, they are far from being an uncommon occurrence.

So why do more than 22% of American adults experience some form of mental or emotional health disorder? The answer, in part, may be our Protestant Work Ethic (PWE). The PWE is an ideology that includes the belief that individual hard work leads to success and that lack of success is caused by the moral failings of self-indulgence and lack of self-discipline. Thus, those who received positive outcomes deserve them because they worked hard and are morally superior, whereas those who receive negative outcomes deserve them because they are self-indulgent, lack self-discipline and are morally flawed (Quinn/Crocker 1999).

Although this point of view can positively lead people into believing that they have a considerable amount of control over their own outcomes, it can also set-up a platform for harsh standards of conformity which can lead to critical self judgment, lowered self esteem and stress. The individual struggles to comply with the demands of the system while simultaneously placing their own pressure on others to do the same. It is here that the loop repeats itself. Depression and stress, perceived by society and the individual as some version of self-failing or moral weakness, leads to more depression and stress. To compound the problem, because mental health issues are stigmatized by society, there is often reluctance to seek treatment, which only exasperates and perpetuates the problem.

The key to breaking this cycle of unrealistic expectation and its resulting self- debasement may be found hiding in the PWE. Individuals do have a considerable amount of control over their own outcome. But rather than making choices that agree to someone else’s standards, choose instead to find ways of being okay with who and what you are at any given moment in time. Healthy positive choices made by the individual, for the individual, will in turn lead to more people living their truth in joy, peace and abundance. 

~Karen Ryan, author, www.iamcomplete.com