Between Immediacy and Contemplation

Identity and Emptiness in Contemporary Society

Abstract

Exhaustion and social fatigue in contemporary society are deeply linked to the ideal of social happiness, predominantly manifested through digital screens. This ideal reflects our ways of interacting and communicating, derived from intimate desires and preferences that demand constant and exaggerated effort. Social pressure involves the exposure of personal aspects, establishing systemic structures that facilitate large-scale panoptic surveillance. As a result, the boundary between private and public spheres becomes blurred, creating a multifaceted amalgam of individual and collective identities. Neoliberal ideology, based on possession, luxury, and immediacy, drives a winding race toward the desired, where scarcity and exhaustion promote submission to established power. This phenomenon leads to a schizophrenic society striving to meet superficial standards, recreating a hollowed-out community where decay emerges as the only viable escape. In response, Byung-Chul Han proposes a balance between resilience and social empathy, thereby directing reflection toward a new era that fosters more authentic and sustainable well-being. These proposals aim to counteract dynamics of self-exploitation and promote a more balanced and humane society.