The Return of the Try-Hard: Why Caring Out Loud Is Back in Vogue – and I’m All For It 👏

When Timothée Chalamet took the stage to accept his SAG Award for portraying Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, he skipped the usual “aw-shucks” humility. Instead, he committed cultural heresy: “I know the classiest thing would be to downplay the effort that went into this role… but the truth is, this was five and a half years of my life.” Then came the kicker: “I’m really in pursuit of greatness… I want to be one of the greats.”

The internet, ever allergic to sincerity, immediately short-circuited. A young celebrity – earnest? Proud? Admitting they tried? It was like watching someone bring a plastic spork to a knife fight: completely unexpected, yet somehow admirable.

For the better part of a decade, the idea of putting in effort and being proud about it has slowly turned into cultural kryptonite. Coolness has meant detachment, irony, pretending not to care. But Chalamet said the quiet part out loud: I care. I’m trying. I want this. And he prepped for that role longer than most people last in their first job (or marriage).

The Rise and Fall of Giving a Damn

Not long ago, ambition was aspirational. People actually said things like “hard work pays off” without a trace of irony. One of my heroes, Michael Jordan, fought mercilessly for the spotlight – on and off the court. Even during his first stint with Team USA, he didn’t just respect legends like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird – he saw himself as equal or better. Trying hard wasn’t cringe. It was the whole point.

Then the cultural tide shifted. Drive started to look like desperation. Staying late at work became less “go-get-em” and more “you okay, hun?”. Pouring effort into your craft became embarrassing. You had to laugh at how much time you spent on something, just to beat people to the punch.

It made sense, in a way. Overwork had been fetishised to the point of collapse. Hustle culture became the F45 of capitalism – too loud, exhausting, and likely to lead to injury. Social media made everything visible, and nothing safe. So we learned to coast. Do the bare minimum. Smirk, shrug, scroll.

But in opting out of obvious effort, we lost something essential: pride in mastery, the guts to go all in, and the ability to say, “I really want this” and “I’m working hard for it,” without following up with a self deprecating meme.

We became fluent in detachment and borderline illiterate in sincerity. Trying hard out loud became taboo.

Effort’s Quiet Comeback

The wind is changing again. You can feel it leaking back in like a wet nappy. People are beginning to show how much they care. And I, for one, am all for it.

Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO isn’t pretending to be effortless. It’s manicured, meticulous, and suspiciously well-produced (how much are you paying your crew?). It reeks of care and obsessive polish. And you know what? People love it.

Tyler, the Creator has made effort part of his brand. His albums aren’t just playlists with cool cover art – they’re conceptual, polished, and proudly strange. You can hear the hours in the music. Especially live. This is a man who shows up in loafers and a wig, but the set is tighter than your summer calendar.

And the Barbie movie? Absolutely not a fluke. Sure, the marketing budget could’ve rebranded an entire religion. But behind all that pink-washed promo was Greta Gerwig. She didn’t just cash the blockbuster cheque and phone it in – she made something rich, strange, and extremely female-forward without losing the men in the audience. It could’ve been corporate oatmeal. Instead, it was neon existentialism in pink Birkenstocks.

Trying (and Owning It)

Trying is terrifying. It leaves you wide open – to mockery, to failure, to being part of a cringe compilation. That’s why we learned to hide it. But that’s also what makes it powerful.

You don’t reach mastery without risking embarrassment along the way. Cringe isn’t the enemy – it’s the cost of taking something seriously.

I feel it too. Every time I write an article, I worry it won’t land right. I could brush it off as a casual side project – who cares? But that would be a lie. The truth is, it takes hours of research, writing, imposter syndrome, and rewriting. Not because I have to but because I care. I want the words to matter. I want you to feel something (ideally not regret).

This isn’t about reviving hustle culture. No one needs to burn out to prove their worth. The new try-hards have boundaries. They’re not chasing clout – they’re chasing meaning. It’s quiet effort. Internal drive. The kind that says, I’m doing this because it’s mine.

So maybe it’s time to retire the eye-roll. Maybe we stop mistaking cynicism for depth. Maybe being a try-hard is no longer cringe. Maybe it’s just honest.

After all, Michael Jordan didn’t win six rings by being chill about basketball. And Timothée Chalamet didn’t stand on that stage and say, “I just kinda winged it.” He said, “I want to be one of the greats.” No apology. No irony. Just effort – shameless, focused, deliberate effort.

Because maybe, after all the posturing fades, that’s still what greatness incorporates – the guts to care out loud.