The Race to Become a Machine: Are We Forgetting to Live?

The Race to Become a Machine: Are We Forgetting to Live?

Every single day, we wake up and push ourselves to follow the same routine; work, eat, sleep, repeat. We try so hard to fit into this mechanical life, giving our heart and soul to a system that demands more than we can give. But have we ever stopped to ask why? Why are we chasing a life that turns us into machines when we were born to be human?

We all dream of a fulfilling life, don’t we? Every Saturday night, we convince ourselves that the coming week will be different, that work will be exciting, and we’ll finally have a good time. But the moment we step into our office, that dream fades away, and reality hits us like a cold slap. The office is not a place of inspiration, it’s a factory, and we are its workers. Employees. A fancy corporate word for slaves. The moment we accept our ID cards and sit at our desks, we stop being individuals and become gears in a system that only turns in one direction, toward profit, toward someone else’s success.

If something good happens, the credit goes to the bosses. If something goes wrong, the blame falls on us. That’s the rule of the corporate game. We are trained not to think, not to question, not to dream, just to execute, just like a machine. And why? Because machines don’t make mistakes. Machines don’t complain. Machines don’t have feelings. And that’s exactly what the system wants us to be.

The Cost of Dreams

Being middle class is like being stuck in a never-ending loop. We don’t have enough money to live the life we want, but we have just enough to survive. But survival is not living, is it? Everyone loves a good party, a weekend getaway, or a nice dinner at a fancy place. But when your salary barely covers your bills, even the smallest luxury feels like a distant dream.

So, what do we do? We work harder. We stay late. We do extra tasks. We flatter our bosses, hoping they will remember our name when it’s time for promotions. Hard work alone isn’t enough; you have to play the game. You have to know when to smile, when to nod, when to agree, even when your heart screams ‘No!’ Because in the corporate world, climbing up is not about talent; it’s about how well you fit in.

And so, we keep running. We work five days a week, sometimes even more, thinking about that one day when we will finally have enough. Enough money. Enough recognition. Enough happiness. But do we ever?

Dreams vs. Reality

The saddest part? We don’t even realize how much we are sacrificing. We are so busy proving ourselves to others that we forget to live for ourselves. We chase promotions while missing out on family dinners. We stay glued to our screens while our kids grow up without us. We check emails on vacation, convincing ourselves that we are important, when in reality, we are replaceable. The company won’t mourn us when we’re gone. The system won’t pause for us. It will simply move on, find someone else, and continue like nothing happened.

At some point, we need to stop and ask: Is this the life we truly want?

What if we stop chasing the illusion of perfection and start embracing our flaws? What if we make peace with the fact that we are humans, not machines? That mistakes are meant to be made, lessons are meant to be learned, and life is meant to be lived—not just endured?

I don’t want to die with a well-decorated resume but an empty heart. I don’t want my biggest achievement to be how well I followed orders. I would rather live a life full of mistakes, full of laughter, full of love; because that’s what being human is all about.

So, before you lose yourself in the race, pause for a moment. Breathe. Look around. Remember that life is happening now. And it’s okay to slow down.

Because no matter how hard we try, we can never become machines. And maybe, just maybe, we shouldn’t even want to.