The WaPo recently featured a story about people who’ve lost their jobs but continue work just as hard to keep up the appearance of employment. These workers are determined to suffer in silence, still trying to mask the truth by hiding their car in the garage during business hours, keeping up with their country club memberships and dining out with friends while only ordering only a side salad and water.

This problem is particularly noticeable in affluent neighborhoods in the Washington region, where the self-worth of high-achieving professionals is deeply intertwined with their jobs. In this town – failure is still not an option. [fascinating, yet sad]