The Hidden Cost of Optimization Culture @TheAtlantic
The Hidden Cost of Optimization Culture  @TheAtlantic
Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Optimization culture has led people to believe that only outcomes matter, “so anything that isn’t focused on a future goal feels like it’s not worth doing”—but not every experience fits that idea, Ian Bogost tells Charlie Warzel.
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The Hidden Cost of Optimization Culture

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