Why do we constantly strive for our significance – and could you quit the habit if you tried?

When Ash Barty retired from tennis after winning the Australian Open – breaking a 44-year drought – everyone groaned. How could she walk away at the top of her game?

The collective response to Barty’s news was telling: it revealed how addicted we are to achievement.

Students fear that the ATAR will sum up not just their schooling career, but also their individual worth. Australians aren't just mad for sporting victory - skyrocketing house prices show we're equally hooked on owning property. Then there are the furious work habits of Silicon Valley CEOs, violin prodigies, and tiger mums.

Join us for an evening to consider a familiar topic from an unfamiliar angle.

We’ll share in good conversation over dinner and hear Justine Toh reflect on society’s obsession with success and what it takes to break free from achievement addiction.

Register now to book your spot

$20pp includes dinner, dessert and talk. In-person only event - no livestream available.

Online registration is now closed. Registration at the door is available from 6.30pm.

Justine Toh is a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity where she speaks and writes about the Christian faith in publications like The Sydney Morning Herald, ABC Religion & Ethics, The Guardian, and The Canberra Times.

She is the author of the book Achievement Addiction. Justine freelances for the ABC, has a PhD in Cultural Studies from Macquarie University in Sydney and tweets, erratically, at @justinetoh.

And yes, she is a recovering achievement addict.