Voices from the Edge: The Radical Truths of Hank Van Vice — On the Cult of Productivity & How We’ve Sacrificed Humanity for Efficiency

Interviewer: Jake "Journeyman" Thompson, Work-Life Harmony Journal

Jake: Hank, we’re living in an age where productivity is king, where efficiency is everything. But you’ve been critical of this mindset, saying that we’ve sacrificed our humanity in the process. Can you elaborate on that?

Hank Van Vice: [Nodding, his voice full of conviction] Productivity, efficiency—these are the new gods we’re worshiping, man. But what they don’t tell you is that they’re false gods, leading us down a path to burnout, disconnection, and emptiness. We’ve been sold this idea that our worth is tied to how much we produce, to how fast we can work, to how well we can optimize our lives. But that’s a trap, man. It’s a trap that’s sucking the life out of us, and we don’t even see it.

They’ve got us working ourselves to death, chasing these arbitrary goals, these quotas, these targets, as if that’s what life is all about. But what’s the point of being the most productive person in the room if you’re miserable, if you’re disconnected, if you’re losing your soul in the process?

Jake: How do you think this obsession with productivity affects people’s lives and well-being?

Hank Van Vice: It’s killing us, man. Physically, mentally, spiritually—it’s tearing us apart. We’re burning out at younger and younger ages, we’re losing touch with the things that really matter, like family, like community, like creativity. We’re so focused on getting things done, on checking off boxes, that we forget to actually live, to actually connect, to actually be present in our own lives.

And it’s not just individuals who are suffering—society as a whole is breaking down. We’ve lost our sense of community, of solidarity, of shared purpose. We’re all so busy trying to outdo each other, to climb the ladder, to get ahead, that we’re losing sight of what it means to be human, to care for each other, to build something together.

Jake: How does QEA’s music respond to this culture of productivity?

Hank Van Vice: We’re pushing back, man. We’re saying, “Enough.” Enough of the grind, enough of the hustle, enough of the bullshit that’s telling us we’re only as good as our last accomplishment. Our music is a call to slow down, to reconnect with the things that really matter, to find joy, meaning, and purpose in the present, not in some future goal that’s always just out of reach.

We’re also challenging the idea that efficiency and productivity are the ultimate values. There’s more to life than getting things done. There’s beauty in the chaos, in the mess, in the things that can’t be measured or optimized. We’re celebrating the human spirit, the creativity, the connection that can’t be quantified, that can’t be put into a spreadsheet or a time management app.

Jake: What do you think needs to change for society to reclaim its humanity?

Hank Van Vice: We need to rethink our priorities, man. We need to stop worshiping at the altar of productivity and start valuing things like creativity, like connection, like compassion. We need to create a culture that values people for who they are, not for what they can produce.

It’s about balance, about finding a way to work that doesn’t destroy us, that doesn’t turn us into cogs in a machine. It’s about reclaiming our time, our energy, our lives, and using them to build something beautiful, something meaningful, something human. That’s the real revolution, man—to live, to love, to create, not as machines, but as people, alive and free.