A man wearing a sombrero de charro watches a bullfight in Mexico City
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In a time when America's attitudes toward religion are shifting, it was perhaps inevitable that Americans are now worshipping at the altar of work instead.

Derek Thompson coined the phrase "workism" in a 2019 essay for The Atlantic, a term he used to describe a phenomenon among elite, wealthy, college-educated men with whom work morphed "into a kind of religion, promising identity, transcendence and community." 

Workism is a belief system that elevates work beyond a means of economic production to "the centerpiece of one's identity and life's purpose," Thompson explained. The leading group pushing this overzealous love for labor includes America's wealthiest men, A behavior that "defies economic logic — and economic history," as the rich have traditionally had more leisure time. And while workism found its roots among the elite, "the ethos is spreading — across gender and age," he added.

The risks of worshipping work
There are perils to treating work like a religion. "One is that it's just not a burden our jobs are designed to bear," Simone Stolzoff, author of "The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work," said in an interview with Wired. Another risk is that in overinvesting in one aspect of our lives, other parts of us are neglected. 

Americans have been taught to look at their jobs as a calling, but taking a more "transactional approach to work can liberate both employers and employees." It would free employers to "focus on setting clear expectations about what good work looks like" and employees to "treat work as a living and not the entirety of their lives."

The future of how Americans see work
Derek Thompson thinks "we're at the cusp of a fourth revolution in work," per a more recent essay for The Atlantic. 

"By snipping the tether between work and home," telecommuting has changed "the way that millions of people work, the kinds of companies they start and where they live," Thompson noted. "The other prong is AI," he continued. The release of OpenAi's ChatGPT and its large language model, GPT-4, has "transformed the way millions of people think about the future of work."

In the coming weeks, you might want to take out the skis for a mountain getaway, head to a resort in a warmer climate or have a quiet Valentine's Day retreat. These three hotels to the winter rescue. 

For the slope fiend: Hotel Bellerive in Zermatt, Switzerland
Come to Zermatt for the skiing, stay for the stunning views of the Matterhorn. The Sky Rooms at Hotel Bellerive face the famed mountain and have balconies. After a long day hitting the slopes, head over to the hotel's spa, where you can relax in the jacuzzi, sauna and hammam or book a massage.

For the opulent idler: The Shore Club in Turks & Caicos
The Shore Club is on pristine Long Bay Beach, where the turquoise water is perfect for snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding and swimming. Those who prefer to stay dry can play tennis day or night on the lighted court, sign up for pilates and yoga classes and book a luxurious service in the spa. This destination is a splurge, but, oh, the bang for your buck.

For the history lovers: The Jefferson D.C. in Washington, D.C.
The Beaux Arts-style Jefferson D.C. is a classic, with plush rooms and suites and a communal Book Room. For Valentine's Day, the hotel is offering the "Historic Kind of Love" package, which includes 15% off a Deluxe Suite, a welcome bottle of champagne and dinner for two at The Greenhouse. Historic Kind of Love runs Feb. 1-29, 2024.