It’s perhaps easier now than ever before to make a good living; it’s perhaps harder than ever before to stay calm, to be free of career anxiety.

De Botton contrasts material opportunity with psychological strain. In affluent, meritocratic societies, earning a “good living” can be statistically more attainable than in the past, yet the social meaning of work has intensified: careers are treated as measures of identity, worth, and status. The quote suggests that abundance and choice do not automatically produce serenity; instead they can amplify comparison, fear of falling behind, and the sense that one’s life must be optimized. “Career anxiety” names a modern condition in which economic security is intertwined with constant self-evaluation and public judgment, making calmness and inner freedom harder to sustain than mere income.