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The Burnout of Overpraising Everyone All the Time
Description
Praise seems harmless, even beneficial. But when you work in a culture where every minor task gets enthusiastic approval, something strange happens: praise becomes noise. Lucas and Luna explore 'praise inflation' — the workplace equivalent of grade inflation — and how it fuels burnout. They look at a real case from a mid-sized tech company where managers were trained to give five compliments for every critique, and within 18 months, employee engagement scores actually dropped. The hosts discuss the science of dopamine and praise desensitization, why constant positive feedback can make you feel unseen, and what to do if your workplace runs on hollow affirmation. They also touch on the difference between recognition and praise, and how to reset your team's feedback culture without becoming a cynic. This is a conversation about how well-meaning positivity can exhaust you.