SREcon17 Europe/Middle East/Africa - The Cult(Ure) of Strength

Emily Gorcenski, Simple

"Strength," "Courage," and "Bravery" are virtues often heaped upon individuals undergoing hardship. These compliments come from a deep-rooted cultural value that sacrifice should be praiseworthy and that performing in the face of difficulty is a sign of virtue. In tech, strength is valued to the point of caricature, creating a culture of depersonalization and overwork that disproportionately affects people who by their identities or job descriptions are asked too often to "take one for the team."

Through the lens of my 15+ year journey through the STEM pipeline, I'll talk about the culture of strength and how we can better set expectations to manage hardship and workload in the workplace or community.