Michael Moynihan on Reducing Anxiety through the Meaning of Work

HeightsCast: Forming Men Fully Alive · Jul 23, 2026 · 34m

In the charged "Achievement Culture" we live in today, both parent and student anxiety have skyrocketed. There are the usual culprits, from a changing economic landscape to social media and comparison culture.

But ultimately, Michael Moynihan believes our professional and academic anxieties come from a crisis of meaning for the term 'work.'

Drawing on his experience as a math teacher, head of the upper school at The Heights, and father of a large family, Mr. Moynihan suggests that we can reduce anxiety by understanding 'work' not as a means of self-optimization or self-advancement, but…