The Problem with Hustle

Photo by Anthony Young on Unsplash

Hustle. Hustle up. Let’s hustle. The word hustle has seen a recent rebranding in trying to embody tenacity and grit. There’s an admired underdog pride to it, but an embarrassed quality too. So, what’s wrong with hustle?

Growing up, I was told to hustle: told by parents, told by coaches — always told by someone else. Its most common usage was as a verb meant for someone who was running late, running behind, running out of…