Definition:
A cultural mindset that frames all behaviour, time, output, and even identity as variables to be continuously improved, streamlined, and made more efficient.
Usage Context:
Common in productivity discourse, self-help industries, tech culture, corporate environments, and algorithm-driven platforms.
Critical Note:
Optimisation culture quietly assumes that rest, inefficiency, and unstructured existence are failures. It conflates worth with output, and progress with acceleration, often at the expense of wellbeing and meaning.
Related Terms:
Efficiency Framing, Behavioural Governance, Engagement, Value Extraction, Normalisation Pressure