Why We’re All Burning Out | Byung-Chul Han’s Warning to the World

Einzelgänger
14 Jun 202419:55

Summary

TLDRThis video script explores South Korean-born German philosopher Byung-Chul Han's concept of 'The Burnout Society,' highlighting the paradoxical confinements of modern capitalist society that promote self-optimization and achievement, leading to widespread exhaustion and disconnection. Han contrasts the external control of the past with today's internal drive, where individuals become their own oppressors, pushing towards self-imposed goals that often result in burnout. The script critiques the tyranny of positivity, the loss of profound human connection, and the reduction of life to mere survival and self-obsession, urging a contemplative resistance to the relentless positivity of the achievement society.

Takeaways

  • 🌍 Modern society offers endless possibilities compared to previous generations.
  • 🚀 The achievement society encourages people to become anything they want by working hard.
  • ⚠️ Byung-Chul Han warns that this capitalist society can lead to burnout and other mental health issues.
  • 📚 Han's book 'The Burnout Society' explores the negative impacts of today's achievement-driven culture.
  • 🔄 Society has shifted from external control (discipline) to internal motivation (achievement).
  • 🏋️‍♂️ The 'unlimited can' of modern society creates an illusion of freedom and opportunity.
  • 🎭 The achievement society's focus on self-optimization leads to exhaustion and disconnection.
  • 📱 Digital technology exacerbates the problem by fragmenting attention and overstimulating individuals.
  • 🧠 Han argues that hyperattention prevents deep contemplation and creativity.
  • 🚫 Han suggests incorporating more 'negativity' like breaks and boredom to counter the excess positivity and stress of modern life.

Q & A

  • What is the main argument presented in the video script about modern society?

    -The script argues that while modern society offers endless possibilities and the freedom to become anything one wants, it also leads to collective burnout and disconnection due to the pressure of constant achievement and self-optimization.

  • Who is Byung-Chul Han and what is his primary concern regarding capitalist society?

    -Byung-Chul Han is a South Korean-born German philosopher. His primary concern is that capitalist society is leading humanity toward collective burnout, narcissism, and hyperattention due to the pressures of an achievement-oriented culture.

  • What is the concept of 'The Burnout Society' as described by Byung-Chul Han?

    -'The Burnout Society' refers to a societal state where individuals are increasingly exhausted and disconnected due to the relentless pursuit of achievement and self-optimization, which results in a profound state of exhaustion known as burnout.

  • How does the script differentiate between a 'disciplinary society' and an 'achievement society'?

    -A 'disciplinary society' is characterized by external control, punishment, and obedience, while an 'achievement society' is marked by internal motivation, self-leadership, and the pursuit of personal goals and optimization.

  • What is the difference between the 'negativity of Should' and the 'positivity of Can' as per Han's explanation?

    -The 'negativity of Should' implies an external force dictating actions and imposing rules, whereas the 'positivity of Can' represents an internal drive that motivates individuals to achieve and optimize themselves without external coercion.

  • What is the paradoxical confinement in the achievement society that the script discusses?

    -The paradoxical confinement in the achievement society is the illusion of freedom and opportunity that actually serves as a subtle prison. People feel they are free, but they are confined by the internal pressure to constantly achieve and optimize themselves.

  • How does the script relate the concept of 'hyperattention' to the state of modern society?

    -Hyperattention is described as a scattered form of attention that allows individuals to focus on many things superficially but prevents deep contemplation and creativity. The script relates this to the overstimulated environment of modern society, which demands constant multitasking and superficial attention.

  • What is the role of digital technology in exacerbating the issues of the achievement society, according to the script?

    -Digital technology contributes to the issues of the achievement society by perpetuating excess positivity, providing an overload of stimuli, information, and impulses that fragment attention and hinder deep focus and creativity.

  • How does the script describe the impact of the achievement society on mental health?

    -The script describes the achievement society as causing self-exploitation, leading to burnout, which is a precursor to depression. The constant pressure to achieve and the discrepancy between expectations and reality contribute to mental health issues.

  • What is the concept of 'vita contemplativa' as a form of resistance against the pressures of the achievement society?

    -'Vita contemplativa,' or the contemplative life, is presented as a way to resist the pressures of the achievement society by actively protecting one's mind from excess positivity and intrusive stimuli, and embracing a state of 'being' rather than constant 'doing.'

  • What is the script's view on the role of health and the body in the modern achievement society?

    -The script views the focus on health and the body in the modern achievement society as an empty way of living that reduces human virtue and meaning to physical appearance and vitality, often manifesting as self-obsessed and egoic activity.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 The Illusion of Freedom and Achievement Society

This paragraph introduces the modern era's supposed endless opportunities, contrasting them with the past where life was more predictable and limited. It criticizes the neoliberal narrative that anyone can achieve success through hard work, suggesting that this perspective hides a darker reality of societal burnout, as described by philosopher Byung-Chul Han in 'The Burnout Society'. The paragraph also touches on the shift from external control to internal motivation, where individuals are now driven to self-optimize and excel, reflecting a transition from a disciplinary to an achievement society.

05:04

🔄 The Paradox of Internal Motivation and Burnout

The second paragraph delves into the efficiency of internal motivation over external coercion, as observed by Han. It discusses how the shift from an obedience-based society to one that values achievement has led to individuals becoming their own taskmasters, carrying 'work camps inside'. This intrinsic drive for success and self-improvement often results in overextension and eventual burnout. The paragraph also explores Han's concept of 'positivity of Can' versus 'negativity of Should', and how the pressure to achieve in a society that expects constant self-optimization can lead to mental health issues like depression.

10:05

🤖 The Tyranny of Positivity and Self-Exploitation

This paragraph examines the consequences of living in an achievement society where positivity and the pursuit of endless goals dominate. It describes how individuals, driven by the imperative to achieve, become both the exploiter and the exploited, leading to self-inflicted stress and depression. Han's view on the overemphasis on positivity, including the dangers of multitasking and hyperattention in a digitally overstimulated world, is highlighted. The paragraph also discusses the impact of this lifestyle on creativity and profound thought, suggesting that the modern pace of life hinders the ability to produce original work.

15:07

🌿 The Contemplative Life as an Antidote to Burnout

The final paragraph suggests ways to counteract the pressures of the achievement society. It references Han's concept of 'vita contemplativa', promoting a contemplative life that resists the intrusion of positivity and overstimulation. The paragraph criticizes the modern focus on survival and health over a meaningful life, suggesting that this has led to a hollow existence centered on physical well-being and ego. It calls for setting boundaries to protect our minds and embracing states of 'being' over constant 'doing', as a means to find a more profound and less exhausting way of living.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Modern society

Modern society refers to the current era characterized by technological advancements, globalization, and a shift towards individualism. In the video, it is portrayed as offering 'endless possibilities' for personal achievement and self-expression, contrasting with the limited options of past generations.

💡Neoliberalism

Neoliberalism is an economic and political philosophy that advocates for free markets, deregulation, and reduced government intervention. The video discusses how neoliberalism has influenced modern society to emphasize individual achievement and self-optimization, often at the cost of collective well-being.

💡Burnout

Burnout is a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion, often caused by excessive and prolonged stress. The script uses burnout to describe the outcome of relentless self-improvement and achievement pressures in capitalist societies, as described by Byung-Chul Han in 'The Burnout Society'.

💡Achievement society

Achievement society is a term used to describe a culture where success is measured by personal accomplishments and performance. The video script explores how this societal shift from a disciplinary society to an achievement society has led to internal pressures that surpass external controls.

💡Self-optimization

Self-optimization refers to the process of continuously improving oneself to reach peak performance or an ideal state. The script illustrates how modern individuals are driven to self-optimize, often leading to burnout, as they strive to become the best version of themselves.

💡Hyperattention

Hyperattention is a state of being constantly engaged with multiple stimuli, leading to a superficial focus on many things without deep concentration on any single thing. The video discusses how the modern environment of overstimulation has resulted in a loss of profound attention necessary for creativity and original thought.

💡Positivity and Negativity

In the context of the video, positivity is associated with the relentless pursuit of goals and self-improvement, while negativity refers to constraints, boundaries, and the state of being that allows for reflection and deep thought. The dichotomy is explored in relation to the pressures of the achievement society and its impact on mental health.

💡Internal motivator

An internal motivator is a driving force that comes from within an individual, as opposed to external rewards or punishments. The script explains how the shift from an externally controlled society to one that is internally motivated has led individuals to become their own 'work camps,' pushing themselves to work harder.

💡Contemplative life

The contemplative life, as mentioned in the script, is a way of living that focuses on introspection, reflection, and being rather than constant doing. It is presented as a form of resistance against the overstimulated, hyperactive lifestyle of the achievement society.

💡Self-exploitation

Self-exploitation occurs when individuals push themselves beyond their limits in pursuit of goals, often leading to exhaustion and burnout. The video script uses this term to describe the paradoxical nature of freedom in the achievement society, where the pressure to succeed becomes a form of self-imposed confinement.

💡Multitasking

Multitasking is the act of juggling multiple tasks or activities simultaneously. The script criticizes the modern valorization of multitasking, suggesting that it leads to a superficial engagement with tasks and a loss of the ability to focus deeply on one thing, which is crucial for creativity and innovation.

Highlights

Modern society offers endless possibilities for self-actualization, contrasting with the limited options of previous generations.

The concept of working hard and living frugally to achieve success is presented as a universal path.

Byung-Chul Han's book 'The Burnout Society' explores the negative effects of today's achievement-oriented society.

Han identifies a shift from external control to internal motivation in modern society.

The transition from a disciplinary society to an achievement society is examined, highlighting the change in societal structures.

The paradox of feeling free yet confined within the achievement society is discussed.

The 'negativity of Should' is contrasted with the 'positivity of Can', illustrating the internal pressures of modern life.

Han describes the modern individual as carrying a 'work camp inside', self-imposing demands and restrictions.

The constant drive for self-optimization and achievement can lead to burnout and exhaustion.

The dichotomy of positivity and negativity is explored, with positivity being associated with endless achievement.

The 'tyranny of positivity' is critiqued for causing mental health issues like depression and burnout.

Han argues that the achievement society creates a pressure to achieve that is self-imposed and potentially harmful.

The role of digital technology in exacerbating the issues of burnout and fragmented attention is discussed.

Han criticizes the modern tendency towards multitasking and the loss of deep contemplation and creativity.

The impact of hyperattention and the inability to focus deeply on tasks is examined.

Han suggests that the capitalist economy prioritizes survival over the good life, leading to a hollow existence.

The book calls for incorporating more negativity, such as waiting and boredom, as a form of resistance to the pressures of the achievement society.

Han proposes the contemplative life as a means to counteract the overabundance of stimuli and positivity in modern life.

The transcript concludes with a call to question the focus on health and survival in the achievement society, suggesting a need for deeper meaning.

Transcripts

play00:02

Aren’t we living in the best age ever!? I mean,  look at the world around us! Modern society  

play00:08

grants us endless possibilities. Contrary  to our grandparents (and their parents),  

play00:18

who were told to just pray to God, have kids, work  in the factory, and shut up, we, the children of  

play00:24

modernity and neoliberalism, can become anything  we want! We can become CEOs of our own startups,  

play00:26

hustlers, innovators, YouTube stars, Instagram  models, you name it! You only have to work  

play00:32

hard and live on rice and beans for five years,  and you’ll get there! And, yes, of course, this  

play00:38

applies to everyone! So, get off your lazy ass,  start grinding, listen to Gary Vee, and you’ll be  

play00:43

among the rich and successful in no time. Because  hey, you don’t want to be a loser, do you? No,  

play00:50

of course not! So, what are you waiting for?  Get your Grindset on, and start crushing it! 

play00:58

Beneath this shiny surface of boundless  opportunity, there’s, unfortunately, a  

play01:03

darker side. South Korean-born German philosopher  Byung-Chul Han is concerned that our capitalist  

play01:10

society is increasingly leading humanity toward  collective burnout and many other problems,  

play01:16

such as narcissism and hyperattention. His  book The Burnout Society explains the effects  

play01:22

of today’s achievement society and why people are  more exhausted and disconnected than ever before. 

play01:30

This video explores Byung-Chul Han’s  warning to the world: The Burnout Society.

play01:36

If you want to help keep this channel going,  

play01:38

become a Patreon supporter. You’ll get  access to ALL Einzelgänger videos ad-free.

play01:52

Byung-Chul Han noticed a significant shift in  what motivates us, particularly in the contexts of  

play01:58

work, self-improvement, and social interactions.  In the past, it was the case that mainly external  

play02:05

control, such as punishment and strict rules,  dictated people’s behavior. But times have  

play02:11

changed. Instead of external forces imposing our  actions and goals on us, we are now internally  

play02:17

motivated. It’s not about obedience to some  authority anymore while serving the greater good;  

play02:23

it’s about taking leadership over our own  lives to achieve, self-optimize, and excel. 

play02:31

Han’s book thoroughly examines our shift from a  disciplinary society to an achievement society.  

play02:37

He mentions the world described by philosopher  Michel Foucault: a place of hospitals, psychiatric  

play02:43

facilities, prisons, barracks, and factories,  which we replaced with fitness centers, office  

play02:49

towers, airports, banks, and shopping malls. At  first sight, a rather grim, authoritarian society  

play02:56

based on punishment and obedience, characterized  by rules and restrictions, has upgraded into this  

play03:02

liberated, sparkling society characterized by  freedom and opportunity. Western capitalist  

play03:08

neoliberalism is where it’s at, people. It’s the  realm of “unlimited can,” as Han puts it. Here,  

play03:14

we can become the best versions of ourselves. Isn’t it great to have all this freedom,  

play03:21

all these resources and opportunities, all these  directions we can take our lives toward? I mean,  

play03:27

take our poor ancestors from the Industrial  Age, for example; they could only have dreamt  

play03:31

of having the opportunity to climb the corporate  ladder, being able to choose between twelve types  

play03:36

of SpongeBob toothpaste and travel the world,  scavenging tourist trap after tourist trap,  

play03:42

gathering Instagram selfies with some vague  resemblance of the Taj Mahal in the background  

play03:47

to keep up with the Joneses on social media. The insidious thing about the achievement  

play03:56

society is that, as members of it, we think we’re  free, but, as Han makes clear, we’re not. The  

play04:02

achievement society also has its confinements,  but they’re so hidden and paradoxical that most  

play04:08

people don’t even realize it. The real Matrix is  today’s society, a celebrated illusion of freedom  

play04:15

and boundless opportunity, which, in reality, is  one of the most ingenious prisons ever created.  

play04:21

And the ‘freedom’ we fight for (and some are even  willing to die for) is illusory. We’re not free. 

play04:29

One of the fundamental differences between  disciplinary and achievement societies is  

play04:34

what Han called the “negativity of Should”  versus the “positivity of Can.” In the case  

play04:40

of ‘Should,’ there’s an external force telling us  what to do, laying restrictions upon us, imposing  

play04:46

rules. We can see the tyranny of ‘Should’ as a  metaphorical (or literal) slavemaster whipping  

play04:52

his servants into submission, forcing them to  work. Take, for example, a guy named Kim Jong-Un,  

play04:58

who, just like his predecessors, puts people  into prison camps, forcing them into labor,  

play05:04

which, in turn, fuels the country’s economy. The slavemaster approach works to a certain  

play05:09

extent. As long as you keep forcing people,  punishing and threatening, they will (the  

play05:13

majority at least) do what they’re told. However,  this method also comes with many obstacles:  

play05:20

first of all, it takes a lot of staffing  and effort to force a significant portion  

play05:24

of the population to work and keep everyone in  line. And what about human rights? Generally,  

play05:30

people don’t like to be forced and oppressed,  let alone tortured. So, there’s always a risk  

play05:35

of riots and other forms of social unrest. In  short, the tyranny of ‘Should’ is quite a hassle. 

play05:43

Han observed that the ‘Can’  approach is more effective. I quote:

play05:49

The positivity of Can is much more efficient  than the negativity of Should. Therefore,  

play05:54

the social unconscious switches from  Should to Can. The achievement-subject  

play05:59

is faster and more productive  than the obedience-subject.

play06:03

End quote. An essential  

play06:06

difference between ‘Should’ and ‘Can’ is that  the latter involves an internal motivator. Han  

play06:12

describes this as “carrying a work camp inside.”  We have become our own masters. Instead of being  

play06:18

put into prison camps where a bunch of sadistic  guards force us to work, we embody the camp as  

play06:25

we push ourselves to work; we’re both the guard  and the prisoner. Intrinsic motivation is more  

play06:31

effective than extrinsic motivation. But, we  could ask, where does this intrinsic motivation  

play06:36

come from? And why do these internal labor camps,  so to speak, eventually lead to massive burnout?

play06:47

The idea of freedom to do anything, to be anything  you want – rich, famous, successful – sounds  

play06:53

enthralling. The world has become our playing  field, an extensive realm of endless opportunity  

play06:59

where all our dreams come true. We’re not too  concerned anymore with getting our basic needs  

play07:03

met or enduring at the hands of oppression: we’re  all about self-optimizing, crafting our authentic  

play07:08

lifestyles, and becoming the best version of  ourselves. Self-improvement and self-development  

play07:15

aren’t bad per se, but we could also overdo it.  The problem with the achievement society is that  

play07:21

its members tend to be internally motivated to  stretch themselves beyond their means (14). The  

play07:27

constant grinding and leveling up lead to  this profound exhaustion called burnout (15). 

play07:33

Han speaks of the tyranny of positivity.  Let’s briefly explore the dichotomy of  

play07:38

positivity and negativity Han presents in his  book. In this case, positivity refers to our  

play07:44

actions toward achievement, self-optimization,  pursuit of goals, and endless possibilities:  

play07:50

the “unlimited can.” Negativity relates to  rules, restrictions, constraints, and boundaries,  

play07:57

but also things like boredom, waiting, and  reflection. Negativity is what stops us from  

play08:02

the pursuit of achievement and self-optimization. The achievement subject is a freak of positivity.  

play08:09

We all know these overly motivated people  who are always “on:” They jump out of bed,  

play08:14

take their latte enema, appear at work on Monday  morning full of pep, and just go-go-go throughout  

play08:20

the whole week, grinding, trying to better  themselves and those around them, always  

play08:25

thinking in opportunities, growth, improvement,  upgrading performances. We celebrate these people;  

play08:31

companies love them. They’re the role models  of the achievement society. But they’re also  

play08:36

exhausting to be around, aren’t they? And they  generally disdain stuff like ‘breaks,’ ‘pauses,’  

play08:42

‘leisure,’ and other forms of downtime, unless  it’s a teambuilding session or a surprise business  

play08:47

meeting during a company trip. Why have we evolved  into people who just don’t know how to stop?

play08:57

We may seem free subjects in the achievement  society, but we haven’t revoked the ‘Should’  

play09:02

aspect. ‘Should’ is still there but in a different  form. According to Han, the new commandment of  

play09:09

late-modern labor society is the “imperative to  achieve.” It’s not just that we have the freedom  

play09:15

to achieve; achievement is expected, just as  the disciplinary society expects obedience.  

play09:22

Not performing in the achievement society  is not without consequences, as Han stated:

play09:28

Disciplinary society is still governed  by no. Its negativity produces madmen  

play09:33

and criminals. In contrast, achievement  society creates depressives and losers.

play09:40

End quote. It’s the pressure to  

play09:42

achieve that causes depression, according to Han.  We constantly apply this pressure to ourselves,  

play09:49

leading to self-exploitation and setting often  unrealistic, high expectations for ourselves,  

play09:54

which usually leads to a profound discrepancy  between where we believe we should stand and  

play10:00

where we actually stand. The latter is  always lacking due to the ever-shifting  

play10:05

goalposts. “The exploiter is simultaneously  the exploited. Perpetrator and victim can  

play10:11

no longer be distinguished,” argues Han. The  achievement society shows that exploitation  

play10:17

without domination is possible and even  more potent, as, so it seems, we are our  

play10:23

own worst masters. But this auto-exploitation  eventually exhausts us, leading to burnout,  

play10:29

the precursor to depression. I quote:

play10:33

Depression—which often culminates  in burnout—follows from overexcited,  

play10:38

overdriven, excessive self-reference that has  assumed destructive traits. The exhausted,  

play10:44

depressive achievement-subject grinds itself down,  so to speak. It is tired, exhausted by itself,  

play10:51

and at war with itself. Entirely incapable of  stepping outward, of standing outside itself,  

play10:56

of relying on the Other, on the world, it  locks its jaws on itself; paradoxically,  

play11:03

this leads the self to hollow and empty out. It  wears out in a rat race it runs against itself.

play11:10

End quote. Han calls the achievement subject a modern ‘animal  

play11:15

laborans’ who exploits itself to exhaustion and  does so voluntarily, without external constraints.  

play11:21

He is both predator and prey. The subject’s  failure to attain the ideal image leads to  

play11:26

auto-aggression. Being beaten by a prisonguard has  been replaced by beating oneself up in the form of  

play11:32

bizarre, self-imposed demands, restrictions,  self-scolding, and self-inflicted stress.

play11:42

What makes matters worse is the role of digital  technology in perpetuating the excess positivity  

play11:48

it exposes us to, which also comes as an excess of  stimuli, information, and impulses. Our attention  

play11:55

has become fragmented. We have become incapable  of deep contemplation and creative processes that  

play11:57

require profound attention. Instead, we developed  hyperattention, a scattered form of attention that  

play12:00

allows us to superficially focus on many things  simultaneously (or shortly after another) but  

play12:06

not profoundly on one thing, which is required  to produce something new and original. All the  

play12:12

great works of art, literature, and inventions  have been products of someone deeply focusing  

play12:18

on something. However, the overstimulated  environment of modern-day achievement society  

play12:24

doesn’t allow its subjects to do so, as it demands  laborers, grinding repetitive tasks, and doing  

play12:30

stuff that only requires superficial attention  in exchange for fancy job titles on LinkedIn. 

play12:37

We have become a species of multitaskers.  And we’re proud to be so. These days, when  

play12:43

scrolling through vacancies on whatever website,  I see many job descriptions containing a list of  

play12:48

responsibilities: being a sparring partner, doing  administrative tasks, advising project leaders,  

play12:54

being part of the board, visiting clients,  communicating with other departments, and,  

play12:59

of course, your actual task, which is leading  a team… all of this in one job. Also, companies  

play13:06

often require you to actively participate in a  personal development plan as if just doing your  

play13:12

job isn’t enough. Sure, the multitasker they seek  is functional and useful in terms of productivity,  

play13:19

but does this individual actually create something  profound, something of substance? In most cases,  

play13:26

not really. “It reproduces and accelerates  what is already available,” says Han. 

play13:34

The multitasker, the hyperattentive, hyperflexible  being, is suited to run the corporate rat race. He  

play13:41

is always too busy; his attention is scattered;  he’s always on the move, always in a rush,  

play13:46

switching between this and that, and has no  time for the profound idleness that benefits  

play13:51

creativity. Add to this the interruptions by our  smartphones: notifications from social media,  

play13:58

mailboxes, WhatsApp, Telegram, Snapchat…  and we find that the noisy world around  

play14:03

us constantly hijacks our attention. According to Han, this hyperattention  

play14:08

isn’t progress and we have actually regressed into  animalistic behavior. Animals are multitaskers,  

play14:15

too. In the wild, an animal must eat, watch  its young, and keep an eye on its sexual  

play14:20

partner while being vigilant of environmental  dangers. The capability of contemplation is a  

play14:26

uniquely human skill that we’ve squandered  for the sake of repetitive, superficial  

play14:31

self-exploitation and exposure to hyper stimuli.  And we’re paying the price for it. Han states:

play14:39

Recent social developments and the  structural change of wakefulness  

play14:43

are bringing human society deeper and  deeper into the wilderness. For example,  

play14:48

bullying has achieved pandemic dimensions. Concern  for the good life, which also includes life as  

play14:55

a member of the community, is yielding more  and more to the simple concern for survival.

play15:07

According to Han, we have become entrepreneurs  of ourselves: highly individualistic achievement  

play15:12

subjects with egos ready to burst, suffering  the ongoing pressure to accomplish. And we’re  

play15:18

quite narcissistic, too. Focusing almost  entirely on ourselves, we swing between  

play15:23

self-absorption and self-obsession. Across the board, friendships and many  

play15:29

other connections with the community have lost  meaning and lack profundity. Relationships are  

play15:34

fleeting and transactional. Serial  monogamy has become the norm.

play15:38

“In social networks, the function of “friends”  is primarily to heighten narcissism by granting  

play15:43

attention, as consumers, to the ego  exhibited as a commodity,” states Han

play15:49

It’s all about me-me-me. The achievement  subject doesn’t contribute to a greater  

play15:54

cause. The greater cause is synonymous with the  project we call ‘me,’ an unending pursuit driven  

play16:01

by societal expectations, leading to exhaustion,  burnout, mental illness, and, in the worst case,  

play16:08

self-destruction. Now, is there anything we can do  to shield ourselves from the achievement society? 

play16:16

Byung-Chul Han’s book isn’t a self-help book.  It doesn’t provide a practical step-by-step  

play16:21

guide for getting out of the rat race or  combating burnout. But it does contain  

play16:26

ideas that counterweight our debilitating  lifestyles, burdened by excess positivity,  

play16:31

which we could describe as incorporating more  negativity in our lives. I’d say (although overly  

play16:37

simplified): Let’s all just take a freaking  break, not just from work, but also from the  

play16:43

hyper stimuli that destroy our attention spans  and the many societal expectations that turn us  

play16:49

into self-punishing labor camps. Han speaks of  ‘vita contemplativa,’ the contemplative life,  

play16:56

which he regards as resistance to copious amounts  of intrusive stimuli: it’s an active process of  

play17:02

protecting our minds from excess positivity. When someone takes a break these days,  

play17:07

it’s often something like binge-watching a series  on Netflix while checking one’s phone, with music  

play17:12

in the background. This isn’t a break; it’s more  like keeping the neurotic mind occupied because it  

play17:18

cannot endure boredom. A proper break is an active  process, actively fending off all these stimuli to  

play17:25

experience a state of ‘being’ instead of ‘doing.’  Contemplation concerns itself with the world as  

play17:32

it is, not with achieving, self-optimizing,  and the like. But to experience ‘being,’ we  

play17:39

must set boundaries that keep positivity from  creeping in. Han also considers things like  

play17:45

waiting and boredom forms of negativity. Near the end of the book, Han states:

play17:52

The capitalist economy absolutizes survival. It is  not concerned with the good life. It is sustained  

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by the illusion that more capital produces more  life, which means a greater capacity for living.

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End quote. Han writes that the  

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capitalist economy takes livingness out of life,  which is much more complex than mere vitality and  

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health. We’ve been reduced to our vital functions  and capacities, and we seek to maximize these by  

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any means. Hence, the mania around health arose. After life has been stripped of all meaningful  

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narratives and values, health is what remains,  according to Han. He calls health the “new  

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goddess.” And let’s face it. These days, we  reduce virtue to the size of one’s bicep;  

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we reduce meaning to consuming 1.5 grams of  protein per kilogram of lean body mass. We  

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don’t worship any deity or higher ideal;  we worship some woman’s butt on TikTok. 

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We worship the body. We devoutly keep it healthy  (and aesthetically pleasing). But it’s an empty  

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way of living, focussing only on a fragment  of what it means to be human, and it often  

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manifests as a self-obsessed, egoic activity. Isn’t it ironic that people so religiously  

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focus on health while, at the same time,  their lives amount to nothing profound?  

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Why are we trying so hard to survive in this  achievement society when we’re too dead to live?

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Thank you for watching.

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Ähnliche Tags
Modern SocietyNeoliberalismBurnoutSelf-OptimizationAchievementByung-Chul HanCapitalismWork-LifeDigital AgeSelf-CareContemplative Life
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