“The fact that millions of people share the same vices does not make these vices virtues, the fact that they share so many errors does not make the errors to be truths, and the fact that millions of people share the same forms of mental pathology does not make these people sane.” —Erich Fromm, The Sane Society
This quote resonates deeply with me because I’ve seen firsthand how institutional demands can distort truths, devalue individuals, and create disconnection. In my 25 years working at a manufacturing facility, there was one message upper management constantly preached: “work-life balance.” It was repeated at all-employee meetings, annual trainings, and in glossy company newsletters. But the reality? The production numbers were all that truly mattered.
Safety and morale were just talking points. Employees were forced to prioritize work above all else, with mandatory overtime imposed at the last minute. If you objected—citing family commitments, a long-awaited doctor’s appointment, or sheer exhaustion—you were met with a simple, chilling response: comply or face disciplinary action.
Imagine this: You’ve just finished an exhausting 8-hour shift and are ready to clock out. Your supervisor stops you. “We need you to stay four more hours. The next shift is short-handed.” You explain you’ve been waiting months for a doctor’s appointment. They shrug: “If you leave, you’ll be written up.” These impossible choices, repeated over time, take a devastating toll on mental health and family life.
It wasn’t just one-off incidents. Entire departments were regularly forced to work 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, with no time off—not weekends, not holidays. The unspoken rule was clear: your personal life was expendable, but the company’s production numbers were not.
Management framed it as part of a noble mission. “We’re saving lives with the products we make,” they’d remind us, as if that justified the relentless demands. Needless to say, the culture there was such that you put any and all of your personal needs and desires on hold and gave everything you have for the company’s sake. Your family, your children, your hopes and dreams, and your health were all secondary concerns to the number one goal of the company—put product out the door that will make the company billions of dollars and satisfy the investors on Wall Street.
That’s how they did it. They got you wrapped up in the importance of the mission so you would sacrifice your own needs for the sake of the company’s needs. They took advantage of individuals for the institution’s benefit. And this wasn’t unique to my workplace—millions of companies operate the same way.
Speaking of culture, any time we put the needs of an institution ahead of the needs of individuals, we invite disconnection, despair, and even cruelty. History is rife with examples of atrocities committed in the name of institutions. When people act with the weight of an institution behind them, they often suspend empathy and good judgment, becoming capable of actions they’d never consider on their own.
When institutions put their needs above those of individuals, disconnection and despair follow. A once-kind coworker gets promoted, and suddenly, they’re unrecognizable—rigid, less understanding. In my counseling practice, I’ve heard it countless times: “We used to be friends, but ever since they became my supervisor, they’ve changed.” Power dynamics, invisible yet corrosive, poison relationships as institutions prioritize goals over humanity.
The higher one climbs the hierarchy, the more this dynamic intensifies. With more people under their control and greater financial rewards, the pressure to uphold the institution’s goals often overshadows personal values. Decent people can become tyrants, wielding their authority like a sledgehammer against those beneath them—all in service of the institution.
It’s a sobering reality: institutions, by their nature, lack empathy. They can’t love, feel, or care for individuals. Yet they demand sacrifices—sometimes willingly given, but too often coerced. Over time, these sacrifices take an immeasurable toll, leaving people drained, disillusioned, or worse.
It doesn’t have to be this way. What if institutions were designed to serve people, instead of asking people to serve institutions?
It was clear to me that there had to be a better way—one where people’s well-being wasn’t sacrificed for the sake of production. I’ve thought about this a lot. After 25 years in a corporate environment that drained the humanity out of its workers, I made a choice to leave. I saw too many decent people transformed—into tyrants, zombies, or shadows of their former selves—by an environment that prioritized the institution’s goals over individual well-being.
When I left, it was with a clear mission: to help people and make a difference on a personal level. I knew that leaving one institution meant I’d need to create another to continue my work. But I was determined that the institution we built would feel different.
At Illume Wellness Group, our guiding principle is simple: the individual always comes first. Every person who walks through our doors—whether as a team member or a client—matters more than the institution itself.
Yes, the institution has practical needs. The mortgage needs to be paid, the lights need to stay on, and the business needs to remain sustainable to continue doing good work. But those needs should never come at the expense of the people within it. As long as I have a say, Illume Wellness Group will never prioritize profits or production over human well-being.
Institutions, by their nature, exist to serve. They are tools created by people to meet a need. But somewhere along the way, many institutions lose sight of that purpose. They demand sacrifice, forgetting that without thriving individuals, there can be no thriving institution.
I want Illume Wellness Group to be a living example of what’s possible when we do things differently. My hope is that anyone who partners with us—whether as a team member, client, or guest—feels the intentionality behind our culture. I want them to know that their worth isn’t tied to their productivity, their compliance, or their role within the system. Their worth is inherent.
Ultimately, this is about more than a single business. It’s about reshaping how we think about institutions altogether. Because when institutions put the needs of individuals first, they create something far greater than profit or production—they create a space where people can truly thrive.
When institutions prioritize individuals, they foster not just productivity but humanity. That’s the kind of space we strive to create at Illume Wellness Group—a place where people don’t just work or heal but truly thrive. Because at the end of the day, institutions exist to serve people, not the other way around.
Peace my Friends,
~Travis
PS: If you find this article helpful, give it a share and subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out on any future blogs. Subscribing means you will receive the blog directly to your email.
