In Herman Melville’s 1853 short story Bartleby, the Scrivener, the eponymous Wall Street clerk embarks on a mysterious go-slow, and then a complete strike, while remaining at the office. “I would prefer not to,” becomes his refrain when asked by his boss to write documents.

Some of today’s equivalents are adopting a less defiant tactic by “quiet quitting”. The idea has rapidly found fame after Zaid Khan, a 24-year-old software developer, posted a TikTok video of himself sitting in a New York subway station, reflecting on his own interpretation. His gentle narration over soft piano music had an appropriately soothing effect.

“You’re not outright quitting your job but you’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond. You’re still performing your duties but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality where work has to be your life,” Khan mused in July. His post struck a chord, generating 3.4mn views by this week, and countless sympathetic responses on social media.