STEVEN

Again, we're theorizing here. If I don't have purpose in my life, it's gonna change the mitochondria. And if my mitochondria become more inefficient, then what? What will I notice as the next symptom?

MARTIN

Probably fatigue is the next thing that starts to pop up. You feel drained. You don't feel like you have enough energy...

STEVEN

Burnout?

MARTIN

[It] probably feels like burnout, and you start to lose enthusiasm for the future. You become more pessimistic. There's a kind of constellation of things we call depression or burnout—we put labels on these things, but really every person starts to experience life as less enjoyable, less purposeful, less meaningful, regardless of the diagnostic title we put on.

The Diary of a CEO (July 2, 2026)