Post-individualism
Severin Matusek and
Post-individualism
Episode #188 Achievement Society and the rise of narcissism depression and anxiety - Byung-Chul Han
youtube.comThis was illuminating. My notes:
Negative power is the way people have been control for most of human history.
Negative power means being controlled by prohibition or limitation, telling people you can’t do this or that. Today, people are controlled through positive power. Positive power tells you you can be whatever you want, you’re in charge, so you have no limitations. As long as you can put your head down, focus, grind, achieve your short term goals, set new ones and achieve those.
Authenticity is an ad campaign of neo-liberalism. It's a self absorbed nightmare. People now have to define themselves through themselves without any sort of help from the outside. Everyone is their own little personal project. Everything we learn is not just learning anymore. It's an investment in ourselves. Everything is about mentally optimizing yourself working, producing more efficiently with your mind.
THIS MAY BE THE END FOR ME...(I'M SORRY)
youtube.comThe antithesis is that collectivist coordination is its own reward; that we “formation fly” because we simply like mutuality and interdependence more than isolation and independence, and any collectivizable rewards for doing so are simply gravy.
Venkatesh Rao • Narrative Slipstream Effects
You are not part of the human race, you are the result of it.
Our society’s individualism, largely driven by technological advances and the illusion of endless progress, will no longer be sustainable – will not be able to last – in a world where anthropogenic climate change is a constant and growing threat.