Education & Academia / Education Systems / Vocational Education & Training

Your Lifelong Learning is a Trap: The Hidden Exploitation of Self-Optimization (Germany)

Different Learning Cultures – Regional, National, Transnational

Olaf Dörner, Ingeborg Schüßler

We're told that constant self-improvement is the key to freedom. But what if your relentless drive to learn is actually an invisible chain? This video deconstructs the research from a team of German scholars, including Olaf Dörner and Ingeborg Schüßler, from the book 'Different Learning Cultures – Regional, National, Transnational' (2015). We expose how the modern 'learning culture' has been hijacked by neoliberal policies, turning education into a tool for self-exploitation and burnout. From the shocking 0% referral rate for literacy programs to the hidden cartel of institutions fighting for grant money, we reveal the cold reality behind the 'always be optimizing' mindset. Discover why corporate training is a legal shield, not a growth tool, and how a national qualifications framework literally erased critical thinking. This is a paradigm-shifting look at who really benefits from your exhaustion.