In what sort of environment does Sisyphus Junior live today (compared to the environment in which Sisyphus the older lived in)? Two conditions go hand in hand: the idealization of the individualism on one hand and the throwing of suspicion on common solutions on the other. The decreased interest for shared concerns is supported by a society that wants to throw the earlier common obligations in private hands.
My addition: And on individuals (with in some cases no powers or possibilities dealing with them).
At the same time this shows a growing inability posing boundaries for egoism/selfishness, for creating justice (between people) and for soothing the uncertainty which undermine people’s self-esteem. In this way a larger and larger gap between the small life and the big life, between the private and the public, is created.
My addition: Never the two meet!? And those two understand each other less and less, and this makes the gap even bigger. Till they never meet and in the worst cases can’t respect each other?
Gradually the art of translating private problems to public political conditions decreases and the reverse.
My addition: They never meet? And the man on the street doesn’t feel involved or included, instead of the opposite, and the loyalty to the society (and to other people) and the common decreases even more? Who looses most on this? Are anybody gaining on this either actually?
This means that the responsibility that earlier was considered the common now more and more is moved or shifted to the individual. How often haven’t we heard: “Everything is up to you!”
“You can if only you want”
or “You are your own life’s project-leader!”
Addition: so if you fail it’s only and entirely your own fault (how practical!!). Nobody else and least of all the society have anything with this to do!?
The consequences of the individualism is self-evident; the existential questions of vital importance that Sisyphus the older were struggling with is forced more and more out of the field of vision.
“I don’t have time thinking on the meaning of life, and other introvert questions, how can you believe such a thing? I have enough with making my life go round (caring about my old mom, getting day nursery for my kid, not stress myself to death).”
My addition: how practical for the power if the individuals stop questioning different state of affairs!
Striving for a better tomorrow for many –something that demands community and cooperation – has become replaced by a feverish chasing after a different NOW for the individual.
But even when the professionally responsible for the society, according to Zygmunt Bauman, are dumping their differences and conflicts at the feet of the individual with the “well-meaning” exhortation to judge about all of this critically from their own apprehensions, is it strange that Sisyphus the younger feels tormented?
Paradoxically enough the exhortation that we shall take the life in our own hands “Nobody but you yourself can save you!”
leads to a feeling in many, many that they have less and less control over life (if we don’t deny this entirely?).
The so called freedom has become unfreeness. Freedom of choice has become coercion. And many people don’t manage neither the one nor the other.
Watch this movie by Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein.
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