Extracted Wisdom Series: Achievement Society and the Rise of Narcissism, Depression, and Anxiety

The following is the output of extwis on a piece of content. extwis is an AI tool I built for extracting meaning from text-based content such as articles, podcasts, conversations, papers, or books.

In this series I run extwis against various interesting pieces of content and post the content for people to consume. And sometimes I add my own commentary at the end.

extwis Output

SUMMARY:

In this episode of "Philosophize This," host Stephen West discusses the work of contemporary philosopher Byung-Chul Han. Han's philosophy centers around the role of technology in society, the concept of power, and the impact of neoliberalism on human behavior. He argues that modern societies control people through "positive power," encouraging them to constantly strive for achievement and self-improvement, leading to a rise in narcissism, anxiety, and depression. Han also criticizes the shallow, fast-paced consumption of information enabled by technology, advocating for deeper contemplation and engagement with "the other."

IDEAS:

1. Modern societies control people through "positive power," encouraging them to constantly strive for achievement and self-improvement.

2. This drive for constant self-improvement leads to a rise in narcissism, anxiety, and depression.

3. Technology enables shallow, fast-paced consumption of information, preventing deeper contemplation and engagement with "the other."

4. The ethos of neoliberalism, which emphasizes individual entrepreneurial freedoms, is applied to individuals, turning them into commodities focused on increasing their market value.

5. The lack of genuine interaction with "the other" leads to a crisis of connection and love in modern society.

6. The smartphone is a symbol of domination, serving as a surveillance device and a digital confessional.

7. True thinking, which differentiates humans from other animals, requires contemplation and engagement with different perspectives.

8. To counteract the negative effects of this achievement-focused society, individuals need to reintroduce "the other" into their lives.

9. This can be achieved by truly listening to others, doing things purely for joy, and making space for rest and leisure.

10. Despite the challenges presented by modern society, individuals have the power to navigate these issues and live meaningful lives.

QUOTES:

1. "Freedom turns out to be a form of control."

2. "Can is much more effective than the negativity of should."

3. "The ego struggles with itself as against an enemy."

4. "The infinite work on the ego resembles self-observation and self-examination in the Protestant religion."

5. "The narcissist loves to have friends that are all the same as them and agree with them on everything."

6. "The terror of the same affects all areas of life today."

7. "One travels everywhere yet does not experience anything."

8. "One accumulates online friends and followers yet never encounters another person."

9. "Thinking, actually contemplating things at a deeper level, that's something that differentiates us from other animals."

10. "The fact is that person doesn't even miss the levels of depth to everything that's available to someone if they just spent a little less time talking and a little more time actually thinking."

FACTS:

1. Byung-Chul Han is a South Korean-born German philosopher who is currently alive and working.

2. Han's philosophy centers around the role of technology in society, the concept of power, and the impact of neoliberalism on human behavior.

3. Han argues that modern societies control people through "positive power," encouraging them to constantly strive for achievement and self-improvement.

4. This drive for constant self-improvement leads to a rise in narcissism, anxiety, and depression.

5. The ethos of neoliberalism, which emphasizes individual entrepreneurial freedoms, is applied to individuals, turning them into commodities focused on increasing their market value.

6. Han criticizes the shallow, fast-paced consumption of information enabled by technology, advocating for deeper contemplation and engagement with "the other."

7. Han views the smartphone as a symbol of domination, serving as a surveillance device and a digital confessional.

8. Han suggests that to counteract the negative effects of this achievement-focused society, individuals need to reintroduce "the other" into their lives, truly listen to others, do things purely for joy, and make space for rest and leisure.

RESOURCES:

1. Podcast: "Philosophize This," hosted by Stephen West.

2. Book: Works of Byung-Chul Han, a South Korean-born German philosopher who is currently alive and working.

3. Concept: Neoliberalism, an economic strategy that emphasizes individual entrepreneurial freedoms within an institutional framework characterized by strong private property rights, free markets, and free trade.

4. Concept: Positive power, a form of control that encourages individuals to constantly strive for achievement and self-improvement.

5. Concept: Digital panopticon, a surveillance system where the observation is constant and the observed does not know when they are being watched.

PRIOR WORK:

1. Michel Foucault's work on power and surveillance: Han's work builds on Foucault's analysis of power and surveillance in society.

2. The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism by Max Weber: Han's comparison of self-improvement to self-examination in Protestant religion echoes Weber's exploration of the relationship between Protestantism and capitalism.

3. The Society of the Spectacle by Guy Debord: Han's critique of shallow consumption of information aligns with Debord's analysis of the spectacle in modern society.

4. The Culture of Narcissism by Christopher Lasch: Han's discussion of the rise of narcissism in modern societies mirrors Lasch's exploration of the same theme.

5. The Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit by Sherry Turkle: Han's view of technology as a tool of control and self-obsession aligns with Turkle's exploration of the psychological impact of computers.

6. The Condition of Postmodernity by David Harvey: Harvey's analysis of neoliberalism provides a context for understanding Han's critique of the same economic strategy.

7. The Burnout Society by Byung-Chul Han: Han's own book provides a deeper exploration of the themes discussed in this podcast episode.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. Consider the impact of "positive power" on your life and behavior.

2. Reflect on the role of technology in your life and how it may be encouraging shallow consumption of information.

3. Contemplate the ethos of neoliberalism and how it may be influencing your perception of yourself as a commodity.

4. Make space for "the other" in your life, truly listen to others, do things purely for joy, and make space for rest and leisure.

5. Challenge the way you're currently thinking about things and sit with perspectives that are truly different from your own.

6. Be aware of the potential negative impacts of an achievement-focused society, such as narcissism, anxiety, and depression.

7. Engage in activities that require deep thinking and contemplation, rather than fast-paced multitasking.

8. Consider the value of genuine interaction and connection with others, beyond surface-level relationships.

9. Reflect on the balance between work and leisure in your life and consider whether adjustments need to be made.

10. Read more about Byung-Chul Han's philosophy to gain a deeper understanding of his ideas.

Analysis

I really enjoyed this podcast episode, but I feel like it misses the point a bit.

I don’t think the problem with narcissism is the focus on the self. Or the focus on self-optimization. I think the problem is the lack of focus on something worthwhile outside of oneself that serves as a source of life meaning.

Most importantly I don’t think our rise in anxiety and depression is from narcissism. I think that’s a red herring. The problem is what Victor Frankl called the Existential Vacuum.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being acheivement-based. The key is to make sure you’re driving yourself towards the right things that have the right reasons behind them. And to make that meaning the purpose, and not your self-optimization.

Self-optimization and acheivment for the sake of it is empty. Agree with that. But the missing piece is not Other and enjoying things. The missing thing is life purpose.