You’ve probably heard it a thousand times, usually from a boss or a stressed-out coach: the means of an end justifies the hustle. Or maybe they said "the end justifies the means." Honestly, we flip those words around so much that the actual philosophy gets buried under a mountain of productivity hacks and toxic "grindset" culture. It’s a messy concept. It’s the idea that the path you take doesn't matter as long as you cross the finish line with a trophy in your hand. But if you talk to anyone who has actually hit a massive goal only to feel completely empty inside, they’ll tell you that the path—the means—is actually the only thing you’re ever truly living.
We live in a world that is addicted to the "end." We want the six-pack, not the grueling hour at the gym. We want the million-dollar exit, not the five years of sleeping under a desk.
The Ethical Trap of Results-Only Thinking
Niccolò Machiavelli usually gets the blame for this. People point to The Prince and say he championed the idea that leaders should do whatever it takes—lie, cheat, manipulate—to maintain power. Except, if you really dig into the history, Machiavelli was more of a realist describing how things were, not necessarily how they should be in a perfect world. Still, the DNA of his writing is all over modern business and politics.
When we talk about a means of an end, we are basically engaging in teleological ethics. That’s just a fancy way of saying "consequentialism." If the consequence is good, the action was "right."
But let’s look at a real-world disaster caused by this mindset: the Wells Fargo cross-selling scandal. In the early 2010s, the "end" was hitting sales targets. The "means" ended up being employees creating millions of fraudulent savings and checking accounts without consent. The goal was achieved. The stock price went up. But the means destroyed the company’s reputation and cost them billions in fines. When the means are disconnected from ethics, the "end" eventually collapses anyway.
Why Your Brain Loves the Destination More Than the Journey
There is a neurological reason we are so obsessed with the "end." It’s dopamine. Pure and simple. When you imagine yourself graduating, getting married, or buying that house, your brain gives you a little hit of the feel-good stuff. It’s a biological trick.
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The problem? Dopamine is about anticipation, not satisfaction.
Robert Sapolsky, a neurobiologist at Stanford, has done incredible work on this. He found that dopamine levels in monkeys (and humans) spike during the pursuit of a reward, especially when there’s uncertainty involved. Once the reward—the end—is actually achieved, dopamine levels often drop. This is why you feel that weird "post-goal depression." You spent all your time focusing on the means of an end as a chore to be tolerated, but once the chore was over, the chemical high vanished.
If you hate the process, you are essentially living in a state of self-imposed misery for a reward that lasts about fifteen minutes.
Reclaiming the "Means" in a Burnout Culture
We need to talk about the "Process-Oriented" shift. It sounds like corporate jargon, but it’s actually the secret to not hating your life. Think about someone like James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. He argues that you shouldn't even focus on goals. Instead, focus on systems.
A goal is an "end." A system is a "means."
If you’re a writer, the end is a finished book. The means is writing 500 words a day. If you focus only on the book, every day you haven’t finished it feels like a failure. You’re stressed. You’re rushing. You might even start using AI to churn out garbage just to hit the word count. But if you focus on the means—the act of writing itself—you find a flow state. The quality improves because you aren't trying to escape the present moment.
The Problem With "Whatever It Takes"
The phrase "whatever it takes" is the ultimate anthem of the means of an end philosophy. It sounds heroic in a Marvel movie. In real life, it’s a red flag.
In 2001, Enron was the "Most Innovative Company in America" according to Fortune. They did "whatever it took" to keep the stock price high. They used "special purpose entities" to hide debt and inflate earnings. They were the masters of focusing on the end result while the means were rotting from the inside out.
We see this in fitness, too. The "end" is a certain weight on the scale. The "means" becomes extreme caloric restriction or dangerous supplements. Sure, you hit the number. But you also hit a metabolic wall and end up gaining it all back because the means weren't sustainable.
How to Audit Your Own Means
It’s time for a bit of a reality check. You have to ask yourself if the person you are becoming during the pursuit of your goal is someone you actually want to be.
The Mirror Test: If you achieve your goal tomorrow but had to be a jerk to your coworkers or neglect your family to get there, is the "end" still worth it? Most people say yes in the heat of the moment, but they regret it five years later.
The "Forever" Question: If you had to perform the "means" of your goal for the rest of your life without ever reaching the "end," would you still find some value in it? If the answer is a hard "no," you’re likely on a path to burnout.
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Sustainability vs. Speed: We often choose the fastest means to an end. But fast is brittle. Slow means—the ones that involve building genuine skills and relationships—tend to create "ends" that actually stick around.
Finding the Middle Ground: Virtue Ethics
There is an alternative to just looking at results. It’s called Virtue Ethics, championed by Aristotle. He didn't think the "end" (Eudaimonia, or flourishing) could be separated from the "means" (living virtuously). To Aristotle, you aren't a good person because you achieved a good result; you’re a good person because you acted with courage, temperance, and wisdom throughout the process.
In this framework, the means of an end aren't just tools. They are the building blocks of your character. Every time you take a shortcut, you aren't just getting closer to the goal; you’re training yourself to be a person who takes shortcuts.
Actionable Insights for a Process-Driven Life
Stop looking at your to-do list as a series of hurdles.
Start by identifying one "end" you are currently chasing. Maybe it's a promotion or a fitness goal. Now, look at the "means." If the daily tasks required to get there make you miserable, you have two choices: change the means or change the end.
Try "habit stacking" where you pair a difficult "means" with something you actually enjoy. If you need to walk more (means) to get healthy (end), only listen to your favorite podcast while walking. Suddenly, the means has its own intrinsic reward.
Finally, redefine success. Success shouldn't be the trophy. Success should be the fact that you showed up and executed the process with integrity. When you shift your focus back to the means of an end, the results usually take care of themselves. And even if they don't, you won't have wasted your time being miserable.
Focus on the quality of your daily actions. Audit your "why" every single week. Make sure the path you're walking is one you're proud to be on, regardless of where it leads. This is how you escape the trap of living for a future that may never come and start living in the only time that actually exists.