Between Hubris & Fear: The Crisis of the Modern Self - Volume I E-Book

Hermann Selchow

• Herausgeber: tredition
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 243

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2025

Beschreibung

Between Hubris & Fear: The Crisis of the Modern Self A stirring nonfiction book about the loss of our values in a torn world Why does our society seem more disoriented than ever, despite progress, freedom, and prosperity? "Between Hubris & Fear: The Crisis of the Modern Self" relentlessly exposes how the modern self is torn apart between self-aggrandizement and deep insecurity – and in the process, central humanistic values such as decency, loyalty, responsibility, and morality are lost. This book is a passionate plea for a return to what defines our humanity. It analyzes, with a clear perspective and philosophical depth, how egocentrism, moral arbitrariness, and collective fears are destabilizing our society. Instead of true freedom, we are experiencing an identity crisis – and with it the gradual disappearance of empathy, solidarity, and spirituality. This book invites you to pause. To reflect. And perhaps even to take new paths. It combines philosophical depth with understandable language – and is aimed at all those who want to understand, not just observe. What you can expect from this book: – Decline in values & ethics in the modern age – Hubris and self-promotion in social media – Culture of fear and loss of identity – The role of humanism in the 21st century – Paths to a new moral orientation For all those who sense that something crucial is being lost in our society – and who are looking for answers, guidance, and true depth. This book is a wake-up call – and offers hope. For you. For us. For a better society.

Leseprobe

Between Hubris & Fear: The Crisis of the Modern Self

Volume I

The Individual Factors

© 2025 Hermann Selchow

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Between Hubris & Fear: The Crisis of the Modern Self

Volume I

The Individual Factors

Table of Contents

Introduction

The pillars of humanistic values: freedom, loyalty, dignity and reason

The pressure of individualism and the loss of communal values

The loss of traditional communities - compensation and self-expression

Dealing with youth and children - The delegated generation

Social changes and their impact on the individual

The conflict between inner abyss and soul-searching

The Performance Optimized: A Life Between Self-Aggrandizement and Self-Doubt

Conclusion: The return to ourselves

Also published in this series:

Introduction

Currently, the boundaries between the private and public self are increasingly blurring. Every moment of our lives is potentially documented and put on display. We are experiencing a fundamental transformation of what it means to be a modern self. We are in the midst of an epochal shift that is shaking not only our way of communicating but the very foundations of our identity formation. This book addresses one of the most pressing questions of our time: How do we navigate the shoals of a society that simultaneously drives us to constant self-presentation and confronts us with the fear of inadequacy?

The modern human condition reveals itself in a paradoxical field of tension between limitless possibilities for self-presentation and the agonizing experience of never being enough. We live in an era aptly characterized by the French philosopher Gilles Lipovetsky as the age of "hypermodernity," a time in which the promises of modernity have not only been fulfilled but surpassed, giving rise to new forms of existential insecurity. This hypermodernity is characterized by an unprecedented individualization that frees the subject from traditional ties, yet simultaneously confronts it with the insoluble task of continually inventing and justifying itself.

The phenomenon we examine in this first volume is not merely a superficial problem of social media or consumer culture. Rather, it is a profound anthropological crisis rooted in the fundamental structures of modern subjectivity. The title, "Between Hubris and Fear," refers to the tragic dynamic that drives the contemporary self: the incessant pressure between megalomaniacal overestimation and paralyzing self-doubt, between the belief in one's own exceptionality and the experience of one's own ordinariness, between the claim to authenticity and the need for optimization.

To understand the complexity of this crisis, we must first consider the historical and philosophical conditions that led to its emergence. The genealogy of the modern self does not begin with the internet or social media, but can be traced back to the beginnings of the modern era. René Descartes' famous "Cogito ergo sum" marks a turning point in the history of human self-understanding. This formula declares the thinking subject to be the foundation of all certainty, yet simultaneously isolates it from the world and from other people. The Cartesian self stands alone before itself, certain of its own existence, but deprived of the reality of everything else.

This epistemological shift had far-reaching consequences for the development of modern subjectivity. The self became not only a cognitive subject, but also a project of self-formation. The Enlightenment reinforced this tendency by elevating autonomous reason to the measure of all things and transferring responsibility for its own happiness and self-improvement to the individual. Immanuel Kant's imperative to use one's own reason may have been intended as an act of liberation, but it also led to an overburdening of the individual, who was now held responsible not only for his or her actions, but for his or her entire self.

Romanticism responded to this rationalization of the self with an emphasis on the uniqueness and authenticity of the individual. The Romantic ideal of self-realization promised that every person was an original, distinctive being, simply waiting to be discovered and developed. This notion of a true, authentic self that must be liberated from social conventions continues to shape our understanding of identity and self-development to this day. At the same time, however, it also laid the foundation for a new form of self-alienation: If every person possesses a unique self that must be realized, what happens to those who cannot find or realize this self?

The Industrial Revolution and the emergence of mass society significantly exacerbated this problem. In a world of standardized production and anonymous cities, the longing for individuality became a central cultural motif. Paradoxically, however, the very desire to stand out from the crowd led to new forms of conformity. The culture industry, as Theodor W. Adorno and Max Horkheimer called it, began to systematically market promises of individualization, transforming the longing for authenticity into a commodity.

Georg Simmel recognized the tragic dimension of this development as early as the beginning of the 20th century. In his analyses of modern urban life, he described how the individual, on the one hand, strives for distinction and singularity, but on the other hand, is overwhelmed by the abundance of stimuli and possibilities. According to Simmel, the big city creates a specific form of blasé attitude, a numbness to differences that paradoxically results from the excess of stimulation. This blasé attitude is a protective function of the psyche, but at the same time also a loss of vitality and spontaneity.

The psychoanalytic revolution, initiated by Sigmund Freud, introduced another dimension to the understanding of the modern self. Freud's discovery of the unconscious showed that the ego is by no means master in its own house, but is determined by drives, repressions, and unconscious conflicts. The Cartesian ideal of self-transparency was thus fundamentally shaken. At the same time, however, psychoanalysis also opened up new possibilities for self-knowledge and self-transformation. The idea that one can better understand and change oneself through analysis and reflection became a central element of modern self-culture.

Jacques Lacan radicalized these insights by showing that the self itself is an illusion, a construct created through identification with images and symbols. The mirror stage, in which the child first develops a coherent image of itself, is, for Lacan, the beginning of a fundamental self-alienation. The self is something else from the outset, a projection that never coincides with the actual subject of experience. This structural split of the subject explains why all attempts at self-discovery and authenticity must ultimately fail.

Existentialist philosophy, particularly in the form of Jean-Paul Sartre, further exacerbated the problem. Sartre's famous formula, "Existence precedes essence," means that humans first exist and only then create themselves through their actions and decisions. This radical freedom, however, is simultaneously a radical responsibility, which can lead to anxiety and despair. Humans are, as Sartre puts it, "condemned to freedom" and must bear the burden of constant self-creation.

Simone de Beauvoir expanded this analysis to include the dimension of gender, demonstrating how societies shape and limit this seemingly free self-creation. Her famous phrase, "One is not born a woman, one is made one," makes it clear that even the most fundamental aspects of identity are socially constructed. This insight has far-reaching consequences for understanding the modern identity crisis: If even gender identity is constructed, what remains as the authentic core of the self?

The post-war period, with the economic miracle and consumer society, gave rise to new forms of identity formation. Sociology in the 1950s and 1960s described the emergence of the "other-led" person, as David Riesman called them, who no longer draws their identity from traditional values or inner convictions, but rather from orientation toward the reactions of their social environment. This new character type is highly sensitive to social cues and constantly adapts to the expectations of others.

The 1960s brought with them a counterculture that seemed to rebel against this conformity. The hippie movement, the student revolt, and various forms of cultural awakening seemed to promise the possibility of authentic self-development beyond social constraints. "Don't trust anyone over 30" and "Destroy what destroys you" were the slogans of a generation that believed it could free the authentic self from the shackles of bourgeois society.

But as sociologist Christopher Lasch demonstrated in his seminal work "The Age of Narcissism," this very apparent liberation led to new forms of self-obsession and narcissistic disorders. The culture of self-actualization, which began in the 1960s and became institutionalized in the following decades, paradoxically produced a generation of people who, despite all the emphasis on authenticity and self-development, were internally empty and disoriented.

The neoliberal turn of the 1980s significantly intensified these tendencies. The free market was propagated not only as an economic principle but as a philosophy of life. Each person was declared an entrepreneur of their own self, responsible for their own success or failure. Neoliberal subjectivity, as analyzed by theorists such as Ulrich Bröckling and Byung-Chul Han, transforms every aspect.

Digitalization and the emergence of the internet dramatically accelerated these processes. Even in the early stages of online communication, it became clear that the internet opened up new possibilities for identity exploration and self-expression. Users could try out different personalities, reinvent themselves, and explore aspects of their identity that would have been suppressed or impossible in the physical world.

Sherry Turkle documented in her studies how people developed experimental identities in virtual worlds and online communities. The internet initially appeared to be the ultimate realization of postmodern identity theories: a space in which the self could be freely constructed and reconstructed, freed from the constraints of physical reality and social conventions.

But with the commercialization of the internet and the emergence of social media, this dynamic changed fundamentally. Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and later TikTok transformed experimental identity work into a permanent performance in front of an imaginary audience. The internet evolved from a site of liberation to a site of constant surveillance and evaluation.

The architecture of social media, with its likes, shares, and comments, implements a continuous feedback loop that subtly but effectively controls user behavior. Every post becomes a small experiment in self-presentation, whose success or failure is immediately measurable. This permanent metric of social recognition transforms identity work into a kind of stock market game in which the value of the self is determined by algorithms and audience reactions.

Byung-Chul Han has described this development as the emergence of the "transparency society," in which everything becomes visible, measurable, and comparable. The intimacy of the self dissolves in constant exposure, and what appears to be authenticity reveals itself upon closer inspection as strategic staging. The supposed democratization of the media, which gives everyone the opportunity to be both producer and star, paradoxically leads to a new form of conformity.

Social media algorithms reinforce this tendency by favoring content that achieves high engagement rates. What goes viral becomes the benchmark for relevance and success. Users consciously or unconsciously adapt their self-presentation to these algorithmic preferences and optimize their personality for maximum visibility and resonance.

This development has particularly dramatic effects on young people who are growing up in a world in which digital self-presentation appears not optional but existentially necessary. Studies show a dramatic increase in anxiety disorders, depression, and narcissistic personality disorders among adolescents and young adults, which correlates with the spread of social media.

In her research, Jean Twenge has shown how the "smartphone generation" suffers from specific psychological stress directly related to constant networking and the pressure to present themselves. The "fear of missing out" (FOMO) is only one aspect of a broader syndrome of permanent dissatisfaction and comparison addiction.

But these phenomena are not just individual problems, but symptoms of a deeper cultural crisis. The neoliberal ideology of self-entrepreneurship merges with the technical possibilities of digital self-presentation to create a toxic mixture of permanent performance optimization and social competition. Everyone becomes the manager of their own brand, the curator of their own identity, the permanent performer of themselves.

Psychoanalyst Sherry Turkle warns of the consequences of this development for the human capacity for empathy and intimacy. When all relationships are filtered through the logic of social media, when every interaction is potentially public and documented, the space for spontaneous, uncalculated encounters disappears. The art of boredom, solitude, and quiet reflection is lost.

At the same time, a new form of social control is emerging, one that functions not through authoritarian institutions but through seemingly voluntary participation in the mechanisms of self-optimization and constant evaluation. Gilles Deleuze had already predicted the emergence of the "control society" in the 1990s, in which discipline is no longer achieved through external constraints but through the internalization of control mechanisms.

Social media is the perfect implementation of this control society. It creates the impression of complete freedom and self-determination while simultaneously controlling users' behavior through subtle reward and punishment mechanisms. The illusion of choice conceals the fact that the available options are already pre-structured.

The French philosopher Bernard Stiegler has analyzed the destructive effects of this development on the human psyche. In his view, the constant stimulation provided by digital media leads to an atrophy of the ability to pay attention and concentrate. The ability for deep reflection and the development of lasting bonds is systematically undermined.

In this context, the phenomenon of "self-optimization" takes on particular significance. What appears to be an individual strategy for improving the quality of life turns out, upon closer inspection, to be a symptom of a comprehensive economization of the self. Fitness trackers, meditation apps, productivity tools, and self-help literature promise the optimization of all areas of life, from physical health and emotional stability to professional performance.

This development has particularly problematic effects on the culture of love and relationships. Dating apps reduce the complex dynamics of interpersonal attraction to algorithmic matching processes. The logic of the market intrudes into the most intimate areas of human life, transforming the search for love into an optimization exercise.

Tinder, Bumble, and other dating platforms implement the mechanisms of social media in matchmaking. The swipe principle reduces the first encounter with a potential partner to a binary decision based on a superficial visual impression. The complexity of human attraction, the subtle aspects of chemistry and compatibility that require time and shared experiences, are reduced to a snapshot in time.

At the same time, these platforms create the illusion of infinite choices. Every potential partner is evaluated against the backdrop of all the other possible partners who are just a swipe away. This "paradox of choice," as psychologist Barry Schwartz has called it, leads to permanent dissatisfaction and an inability to commit. The fear of not having made the optimal choice prevents the development of deep, lasting bonds.

The sociological implications of these developments are far-reaching. Robert Putnam had already documented the decline of social capital in Western societies in "Bowling Alone." Traditional forms of community building—clubs, neighborhoods, churches, political organizations—are declining in importance without adequate replacements emerging.

Social media initially appears to offer a solution to this problem by enabling new forms of networking and community building. However, as numerous studies show, these digital connections are often superficial and fragile. The platforms' algorithms favor content that evokes strong emotional reactions, leading to polarization and fragmentation of public discourse.

The emergence of "echo chambers" and "filter bubbles" reinforces existing beliefs and prejudices rather than fostering dialogue between different perspectives. Democracy, which depends on the ability for rational discourse and compromise, is fundamentally threatened by this development.

At the same time, new forms of social inequality are emerging that are based not only on economic factors but also on the differing ability to successfully present oneself. Those who master the codes of social media, who know how to produce viral content and generate attention, have advantages not only in the digital world, but also in education, careers, and social relationships.

Pierre Bourdieu had already shown in the 1970s how cultural capital contributes to social reproduction. The digital revolution has created new forms in this regard that are even more subtle and difficult to understand than traditional ones. The ability to successfully present oneself online is becoming a new form of class distinction.

This development has particularly dramatic effects on children and adolescents growing up in this digital world. Adolescence, traditionally a time of identity exploration and experimentation, is fundamentally transformed by the constant documentation and evaluation on social media. Young people must no longer develop their identities solely in front of friends and family, but in front of a potentially global audience.

The fear of public humiliation and social exclusion, which has always been a part of adolescence, is exponentially amplified by digital media. An embarrassing moment can be filmed, shared, and stored forever on the internet. The possibility of a new beginning, of forgetting, and of a second chance, essential for the healthy development of young people, is threatened by digital permanence.

At the same time, new forms of bullying and social cruelty are emerging, amplified by the anonymity and distance of the internet. Cyberbullying can occur around the clock and pursue victims even in the supposedly safe space of their own home. The traditional refuges of childhood and adolescence are being dissolved by permanent networking.

The effects of these developments on mental health are now well documented. Studies show a dramatic increase in anxiety disorders, depression, and self-harming behavior among adolescents, which correlates with the spread of smartphones and social media. Young women, who are exposed to enormous pressure regarding their appearance and social performance, are particularly affected.

Social media's beauty filters and editing tools create unrealistic beauty ideals that contribute to body dysmorphia and eating disorders. The constant possibility of comparing oneself to seemingly perfect others leads to systematic dissatisfaction with one's own body and life.

But the problem isn't limited to adolescents. Adults of all ages are affected by the psychological effects of digital self-presentation. The "midlife crisis" takes on a new dimension through social media, when people compare themselves to the seemingly perfect lives of their peers and realize that their own lives don't meet the standards presented online.

Work psychology has also undergone profound changes as a result of digitalization. The traditional understanding of work as a separate sphere of life is being dissolved by constant accessibility and the merging of professional and private communication. "Work-life balance" is becoming a nostalgic concept in a world where the boundaries between different areas of life are blurring.

At the same time, new forms of precariousness and insecurity are emerging. The "gig economy," symbolized by platforms like Uber, Airbnb, or freelance portals, promises flexibility and self-determination, but often leads to an intensification of work and a transfer of risks to the employees. Everyone becomes their own entrepreneur, which means that responsibility for success or failure is also individualized.

This development reinforces the dynamic between hubris and fear described above. On the one hand, people are encouraged to be their own bosses, pursue their dreams, and realize their potential. On the other hand, they are exposed to enormous pressure to constantly prove themselves and justify themselves. Failure is no longer viewed as a systemic problem or unfortunate circumstance, but as a personal failing.

The neoliberal ideology of "you are the architect of your own happiness" is reinforced and popularized by digital media. Self-help gurus, motivational coaches, and lifestyle influencers promise that anyone can achieve anything with the right attitude and the right techniques. These messages are enticing because they promise control and agency in a complex and often overwhelming world. Yet they obscure the structural conditions that limit individual freedom and reinforce the illusion of complete self-responsibility.

In this tension between excessive expectations and limited possibilities, that specific form of anxiety arises that haunts the modern subject: the existential anxiety of inadequacy. This anxiety is not simply the fear of failure in a particular area, but the comprehensive concern of not being sufficient as a person, of not being valuable enough, of not having a sufficient reason for existence. It is the fear of ordinariness in a culture that proclaims exceptionality as normal.

As early as the 1930s, the psychoanalyst Karen Horney investigated the destructive effects of modern competitive thinking on the human psyche. Her analysis of the "neurotic personality of our time" describes people who suffer from an overwhelming need for recognition and superiority. This need results from a deep insecurity about their own worth, which is reinforced by the competitive structure of modern society.

What Horney diagnosed for her time has dramatically intensified in the hyper-connected present. Social media acts as a gigantic amplifier for these neurotic tendencies. Every post, every picture, every story becomes an attempt to prove one's own worth and drown out gnawing doubts about one's own significance. The constant possibility of comparison with others reinforces the feeling of inadequacy and drives users into an endless cycle of self-presentation and evaluation.

This fear of inadequacy manifests itself in various psychological mechanisms, all of which aim to stabilize fragile self-esteem. Narcissistic megalomania is one of these mechanisms: The exaltation of one's own person, the fantasy of one's own uniqueness and significance, serves as a protective barrier against the experience of one's own limitations and mortality. But this protective barrier is fragile and must be constantly repaired and reinforced.

The digital world offers seemingly endless possibilities for this narcissistic self-affirmation. Follower counts, likes, and comments become measures of one's own worth. A viral post can momentarily convey the feeling of being truly special and significant. But these moments of validation are fleeting and must be constantly renewed. The dependence on external recognition becomes an addiction that can never be truly satisfied.

In this context, the phenomenon of strategic self-presentation at the expense of others becomes particularly relevant. If one's own worth can only be perceived relatively, through differentiation and superiority over others, then the denigration of others becomes a necessary strategy of self-aggrandizement. The internet offers ideal conditions for this: anonymity and physical distance lower the inhibitions for aggressive and hurtful statements, while the public nature of the platforms offers the opportunity to gain recognition through the humiliation of others.

This dynamic is particularly evident in the so-called "cancel culture" phenomena, in which individuals are publicly denounced and socially ostracized for actual or perceived misconduct. While these mechanisms sometimes legitimately hold people accountable, they often also serve the narcissistic self-aggrandizement of the accusers. Those who morally condemn others automatically position themselves as morally superior and can be assured of the approval of a group.

The schadenfreude that can be observed on social media in the face of public humiliation and scandals stems from the same source: The downfall of others confirms one's own supposed superiority and provides momentary relief from the fear of one's own potential downfall. The competitive logic of the platforms reinforces these tendencies by algorithmically favoring controversial and emotionally charged content.

But these strategies of self-aggrandizement through the humiliation of others are self-destructive. They reinforce the underlying fear rather than cure it and create a culture of permanent hostility and mistrust. Those who instrumentalize others as a means of self-promotion live in constant fear of becoming the object of such instrumentalization themselves.

These mechanisms are not limited to the digital world but permeate all areas of modern society. In the workplace, the fear of inadequacy manifests itself in the form of bullying, sabotage, and toxic competition. Colleagues are perceived not as fellow campaigners, but as threats to be overcome. The neoliberal ideology of permanent competition reinforces these tendencies and transforms them into accepted, even desired, behaviors.

The sociologist Pierre Bourdieu has shown how social distinction functions through the devaluation of others. What appears to be a judgment of taste or cultural preference is often a means of social demarcation. Contempt for the "bad taste" of others serves to confirm one's own supposed sophistication. In the digital world, these mechanisms are democratized and intensified: Anyone can become a critic and accumulate cultural capital by belittling others.

Dating culture shows particularly clearly how the fear of inadequacy leads to destructive behaviors. "Ghosting," "breadcrumbing," and other forms of emotional manipulation are often strategies used to demonstrate one's perceived superiority and desirability. Those who hurt and reject others before they can be hurt and rejected themselves believe they are in a position of strength and control.

But these strategies lead to a systematic erosion of empathy and the capacity for genuine, trusting relationships. The fear of vulnerability, which every authentic encounter entails, is managed through preemptive cruelty. The paradox is that the very strategies designed to protect against hurt destroy the possibility of healing and fulfilling relationships.

The modern fear of inadequacy also has a spiritual dimension. In a secularized world, where traditional institutions of meaning, such as religion or community, have lost their significance, the individual is confronted with the task of giving meaning and significance to their own life. This task can be overwhelming and lead to existential anxiety.

As early as the 19th century, Søren Kierkegaard described "anxiety" as a fundamental experience of human existence. This anxiety arises from the confrontation with one's own freedom and responsibility, with the uncertainty of the future, and the finiteness of life. Modern society reinforces this existential anxiety by promising the individual limitless possibilities but offering little guidance on how to deal with these possibilities.

The fear of inadequacy is thus not just a psychological problem, but a symptom of a deeper spiritual crisis. The longing for significance and transcendence, expressed in the desperate search for online recognition, points to a fundamental human need that cannot be satisfied by a technologized consumer society.

Martin Heidegger spoke of the "thrownness" of human existence, the fact that we find ourselves in a world we did not choose and that often seems alien and meaningless to us. The modern fear of inadequacy can be understood as a specific form of thrownness: We are thrown into a culture that constantly reminds us that we are not enough, but at the same time maintains the illusion that we can achieve anything through effort and optimization.

This paradox lies at the core of the modern crisis of the self. Hyperindividualistic culture promises limitless self-realization, but simultaneously confronts the individual with unfulfillable expectations. The fear of inadequacy is the logical consequence of a society that tells everyone they can become anything, but supports no one in dealing with the inevitable limitations and disappointments.

The therapeutic culture that has developed in response to these problems is often itself part of the problem. Many modern forms of therapy focus on the optimization of the self, thereby reinforcing the illusion that all problems can be solved through individual effort. The structural and cultural causes of modern malaise are ignored or accepted as immutable givens.

Yet there are also countermovements and alternative approaches. Philosophers such as Byung-Chul Han and Alain de Botton advocate a return to contemplation, leisure, and the acceptance of human limitations. Psychologists such as Tim Kasser and Sherry Turkle explore the harmful effects of materialistic values and digital overstimulation and develop alternatives.

The "Slow" movement in various areas of life – from slow food to slow fashion – can be understood as a reaction to the acceleration and optimization of modern life. These movements emphasize the importance of quality over quantity, depth over superficiality, and being over having.

There are also critical voices within the technology industry itself. Former executives from Google, Facebook, and other tech giants warn of the addictive properties of their own products and advocate for a more humane design of digital technologies. The Center for Humane Technology and similar initiatives are working to reform the attention economy and develop technologies that promote human well-being rather than exploit it.

The question of the future of the modern self is thus not only a theoretical one, but an eminently practical one. How can we develop individual and collective strategies to constructively deal with the fear of inadequacy? How can we create a culture that recognizes human dignity independent of performance and self-expression?

These questions lead us to the core of philosophical reflection on the human condition. The fear of inadequacy is not just a modern phenomenon, but a fundamental aspect of human existence. Even ancient philosophers addressed the question of the good life and the right attitude toward one's own limitations.

The Stoics taught the acceptance of what is beyond our control and the focus on what we can actually influence. This wisdom is more relevant than ever in the hyper-connected modern world. Most of the fears and anxieties that trouble us concern things that are ultimately beyond our control: the opinions of others, the unpredictability of the future, the finiteness of life.

The Buddhist tradition offers similar insights: the teaching of suffering as an inherent part of human existence and the possibility of liberation through abandoning the illusion of a permanent, controllable self. These perspectives can help put the modern fixation on self-optimization and control into perspective.

But it would be too simplistic to seek the solution solely in individual transformation of consciousness. The structural conditions that lead to the modern fear of inadequacy must also be addressed. This requires a critical examination of the economic, technological, and cultural systems that reproduce and reinforce this fear.

Regulating the tech industry, developing alternative economic models beyond neoliberalism, and strengthening social solidarity and community are political tasks that cannot be solved through individual self-optimization. The modern crisis of the self is also a crisis of society and requires collective responses.