Why do software engineers tend to see themselves as machines with the necessity to be optimized for productivity or is this solely the cultural influence of American capitalism?

While I agree that it is a good idea to optimize chores, so you can focus on interesting issues, I often hit a wall of processes or humans.

One consequence, after a decade of professional work, is to actively dismiss the idea to optimize every part of my life. On the contrary, I value the time where I do nothing at all. It often allows me to clear my mind to be more creative afterwards.

So what I'm really missing, from this very basic article that does not provide any new information, is: Take your time off and do nothing.