The obligation to “realize oneself”: how did the achievement society become a fatigue society? | Culture

If you recognize yourself in these words, you are a typical member of modern Western society. Byung-Chul Han, a German philosopher of Korean origin, tries to understand and explain this reality in the book “Society of Fatigue”, published by “Other Books”, translated from German by philosopher prof. Thomas Sodeika.

The author, discussing with other philosophers, explains why depression, anxiety and burnout syndrome are so common today. According to Byung-Chul Han, there has been a silent paradigm shift in Western society and the disciplinary society described by Michel Foucault, which gave birth to the unfit others (criminals, madmen), has been replaced by the modern society of achievement, where the unsuccessful and less accomplished are uncomfortable. Here there are exhausted, overworked individuals who are rarely able to enjoy the results of their work.

Here there are exhausted, overworked individuals who are rarely able to enjoy the results of their work.

With our free will, we have become exploiters of ourselves, and the universal obligation to “realize ourselves” has sown depression, burnout syndrome, and anxiety disorders. These conditions mark the beginning of the 21st century. We no longer need to defend ourselves from wild beasts like in the old days and even from viruses, now, according to Byung-Chul Han, our biggest enemy is our own psyche. We can only recover if we calm down and stop acting non-stop, learning to be more resistant to everyday stimuli.

According to the author of the book, our society lacks negativity, which in philosophy means limits. The predominance of positivity today is shown by the fact that it is no longer clear where work ends and leisure begins, when home is a recreation space and when a remote workplace, social networks have long since dissolved the border between what is private and what is public. An excess of positivity leads to self-abuse. Self-exploitation is much worse than the situation where a person is exploited by others, because self-exploitation is masked by a sense of supposed freedom, even though it leads to exhaustion. It is no longer possible to rebel and it is difficult to say no when the victim and the executioner, the exploiter and the exploited are one and the same person.

Byung-Chul Han is a rock star in the world of philosophy, the ideas of his books are explained on YouTube channels and shared by influencers on the social network “TikTok”. He rarely gives interviews, does not use social networks himself – this is how he created an aura of mystery. Likes to wear a black leather jacket.

His books are 100-page manifestos regarding the problems of modernity. Condensing his ideas into short, clear sentences, Han writes what the readers themselves feel, only he explains those states based on philosophical ideas. The author allows us to understand that the conditions that are so characteristic of a large part of modern society – a tendency to depression, anxiety disorders, burnout, etc. – are not only personal, they also characterize modern society.

According to the author of the book, our society lacks negativity, which in philosophy means limits.

Burnout and fatigue are different concepts, and the fact that we are a “fatigue society” according to Byung-Chul Han is actually encouraging. The translator of the book, T. Sodeika, says in the followingword specially written for the book: “It would seem that burnout is an obviously negative “state of the soul” – a state that when we experience it, we say (whether aloud or only in our thoughts): “Oh, how bad I feel.” while “fatigue,” if Byung-Chul Han and Peter Handke are to be believed, is clearly a positive. It opens access to contemplation, which not only allows us to hear the voice of reality itself, but also establishes a communion between us, the listeners of this voice.”

Born in 1959 In South Korea, Byung-Chul Han initially studied metallurgy in Seoul to fulfill his parents’ wishes to study a practical discipline. At the age of twenty-two, he moved to Germany; following promising his parents to continue his studies, he actually switched to philosophy and focused mainly on the ideas of Martin Heidegger. in 1994 Byung-Chul Han received his PhD from the University of Freiburg, where he later taught phenomenology, aesthetics and religion. Now works at the Berlin University of the Arts.

The “Fatigue Society” that made the philosopher famous (German Fatigue society) published in Germany in 2010. In this book, he predates today’s generally accepted rise of burnout culture, especially among the so-called millennial generation (those born between 1981 and 1996) by a decade. We experience such strong stimulation every day, especially on the Internet and social networks, that it is difficult not to feel or think independently. Ironically, it is through the Internet that Han’s books are popularized by word of mouth.

We experience such strong stimulation every day, especially on the Internet and social networks, that it is difficult not to feel or think independently.

The Lithuanian translation was prepared based on the latest 2016 in the German edition, which includes the essay “Elevated Time” – it talks regarding how important refreshment is the quiet time set aside for the holiday, when we no longer rush, no longer strive for the best results, but stop, withdraw, return to a contemplative life. Such holidays are often lacking for the tired society, but they are necessary to give us a break from hyperactive functioning and constant reaction.