Why Religion Decided How You Feel About Success (You're Welcome!) [#2 of Series: How Work Works]

Think success comes from hustle? Or that money is overrated? Whether you realize it or not, religious values shaped your work ethic long before you had a say in it.

Here we go on our oversimplified analysis, take two, of understanding How Work Works.

This time, we’re diving into why we see success the way we do. But before we start, I’ll make a bet: I can probably guess how you view work and define success, just by knowing the country you (or your parents) grew up in.

And here’s the kicker: it’s not your country’s fault. It’s not even your parents’ fault. It’s the religion you might not even follow.

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When My Mum Proved Me Wrong

When I was in 7th grade, I had to give a school presentation on world religions. I got home, looked at my mom, and asked: "Why do I have to talk about all of them if this is the one everyone follows?"

She didn’t say much, she just pulled out a map and pointed. "It might feel like everyone around you follows the same religion," she explained, "but that’s not really true."

The next day, she handed me a stack of books, about religions from all over the world. That’s when I first learned about Buddhism and I was fascinated. Not long after, we started visiting mosques, churches, and synagogues, so I could see beyond my own little bubble.

Today feels like I’m back in 7th grade, flipping through those same books. Except this time, I’m not just trying to understand different religions—I want to understand how they shaped the way we see work, success, and money.

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God Wants You to Work Hard. Or Not. Depends Where You’re From.

Before industrialization, when societies were still agrarian and deeply hierarchical, work wasn’t a passion project or a hustle, it was just a fact of life. And, more often than not, its meaning and value were tied to religion.

Let’s take a few examples.

Protestantism: Work as a Moral Duty

In Northern and Western Europe, Protestant Christians, especially Calvinists, believed that diligent work was a virtue. Max Weber even coined the term "Protestant Work Ethic" to describe how, in these cultures, work wasn’t just about survival, but a moral duty and personal calling.

So, if you:
✅ Feel guilty for not being productive.
✅ Think optimizing your time is a virtue, not just a strategy.
✅ See having a job and doing your best as a moral obligation…

You might have been influenced by these religious values, even if you or your parents were never religious. If you’re American, German, British, Swiss, or Scandinavian: Congratulations! You can blame your cultural ancestors.

Calvinism took it even further: wealth accumulation and investment weren’t just good, they were signs of divine favor. Success wasn’t just personal ambition, it was a proof you were on the right track.

So, if you grew up obsessed with making it on your own, or convinced that becoming rich is just a matter of hard work and merit, maybe that’s not entirely your fault. Maybe you’ve just been brainwashed since birth.

Catholicism: Work as Necessity, Not a Calling

Now, let’s flip the script.

If you’ve ever chatted with an Uber or taxi driver in the U.S., you might notice a pattern: within minutes, they’re telling you how much money they make, what their side hustles are, and probably asking about your job.

Try the same conversation in Southern Europe, and it’s a whole different vibe. Money? Taboo. Instead, the conversation will likely go in two directions:

1. They’ll complain about working too much.

2. They’ll get curious about your plans and start giving you travel tips.

Why the difference? Catholic values.

The Catholic Church, especially in Southern Europe and Latin America, discouraged wealth accumulation, emphasizing humility and communal well-being over individual success. So if you come from Spain, Italy, Portugal, or Latin America, and you know someone who genuinely doesn’t care about getting rich and just wants to help others, well... maybe they’ve just been brainwashed since birth too.

Buddhism, Confucianism, and Hinduism: Grind? Never heard of it.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Buddhism had a very different take on work. It wasn’t glorified as a path to success or salvation, just a practical necessity for survival. What mattered wasn’t that you worked hard, but how you worked. The idea of "Right Livelihood" meant that making an honest living without harming others was part of a good life, but beyond that? Work wasn’t some grand purpose, it was just something you did to get by.

But let’s not lump all Eastern cultures under Buddhism. Confucianism, especially in China, saw things differently. Scholars were at the top of the social hierarchy: studying was considered work, and if you were a scholar, you were respected. Farmers were also valued because they fed society, but merchants? Looked down on. Just like in Catholic Europe, making money for its own sake wasn’t exactly seen as virtuous.

And then there’s India, where Hinduism shaped an entirely different system. Work wasn’t something you chose, it was tied to caste, meaning your profession was more or less decided at birth. Unlike Buddhist cultures, where monks stepped away from material life and were highly respected, Hindu religious figures weren’t necessarily “opting out” of work. Instead, spirituality was woven into everyday life: your duty wasn’t about rejecting the world, but fulfilling your role within it.

So while Europe moved toward the idea that work equals worth, and Buddhism treated work as just a means to an end, Hindu society had an entirely different approach: work wasn’t just about making a living: it was about duty, identity, and spiritual obligation.

And if you grew up thinking your job defines you, or that success isn’t just about money but about doing what you were “meant” to do? Maybe you’ve just been brainwashed since birth.

Religion Still Shapes How We See Work & Success

The point? Religion may not be in your daily life, but it shaped your culture, your work ethic, and your definition of success, whether you like it or not.

Some of us were raised to hustle relentlessly. Others were raised to prioritize balance and community. Either way, we’re all just following scripts written centuries ago.