More Byung-Chul Han, please!

My favorite part is the whipping noises. More sound effects 😂

"When you remove the Otherness from somebody you can't ever really love that person, all you can do is consume them. When you remove the otherness from an Idea, it can never really affect you fully, all you can do is consume it. I think of all they ways people are turned into things to consume when it comes to Romance on the internet." This certainly gave me something to think about.

"Smartphones are for digital confessions and Facebook is the Church". Some deep words. Thank you for doing this show!🙏🏽

This is big. I felt you building up to this over the last few episodes, and I've been thinking about the digital penopticon concept without knowing it was a concept yet.

Love this episode. I fell trapped being my best possible self everyday and I just realised how this stripped me of the single thing I love in life which is creating art. It used to be a contemplating and relaxing activity but now I persecute myself for not creating enough and not beeing already a famous artist. Thank you for reminding me my purpose.

Keep with Han. I love Zizek but we have All the time in the world to get to it. I want to hear more Han first

More Han, there is much more already on Zizek than Han. Thanks

15:16 Love em’ or hate em’ Han was spittin facts

More Byung-Chul Han, for next episode! It makes it easier to follow a single thinker when they're in episodes bundled together. And love when you get a chance to go more in depth into a single thinker/idea. Looking forward to next episodes and thanks for the all the episodes over the years!

I learned a "nursery rhyme" as a kid All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but all play and no work makes Jack a lazy boy... I hadn't thought about that in years, but I just did.... Thanks for the video

More of Han. How fresh these ideas are.

More Byung-Chul Han plzzzz

Someone send this to @AndrewTate 😂. I love these videos Steven, as someone who is High in trait Narcissism, this has given me a new way to frame many of the issues that I deal with. I also now have more frames of reference to describe the commonalities between the way neurotypicals and myself see the world.

Just finished reading “Philosophy of Zen Buddhism” by Han, & just picked up “Agony of Eros” & “Psychopolitics”. Stoked that this episode aligned with my readings. Byung Chul Han is awesome !

Incredible episode. Best of the recent ones so far, I think. Thanks a lot, my dude. More of this guy would be just blissful

More Han before you move on.(I like the rhyme in that)!

Christopher Lasch wrote some good stuff on narcissistic culture that is worth checking out

Byung-Chul Han all the way! Away with self-important demagoges. More attention to the present!

Hello Stephen, more Han please as well. Would love to hear as much episodes as possible dedicated to a single philosopher. Take care and best wishes to you.

More Han! I would like you to go deeper into the concept of self-discipline as a control mechanism for enforcing participation in the capitalist system.

There is a good long Veritas Forum talk called “The Closing of the American Mind” with Johnathan Haidt (atheist social psychologist and author) and Tim Keller (Presbyterian pastor and author) where they discuss this cultural anxiety. Haidt specifically mentions that there are increasingly fewer centripetal forces, things that hold different people together in society, especially since the 60s-70s Civil Rights era. Their thesis is that shared ritual, religious or otherwise, is essential to avoiding terrible social catastrophe.

Please, do more Han! He just put into words a philosophy so similar to my own personal philosophy - thank you for introducing him to me!

More Han please, looking forward to the next episode!

"The terror of the same, affects all areas of life today. One travels anywhere but does not experience anything. One catches sight of everything. Yet reaches no insight. One accumulates information and data. Yet does not attain any knowledge. One lusts over adventures and stimulation. But always remains the same. One accumulates online friends and followers. Yet never encounters another person."

Han and I second big H(Heidegger) maybe the Question concerning technology in the current climate. Great work.

More Han, please 🙏

More Han please

Never heard of byung chul han before. I'm hooked now. Thank you!

I’ve been trying to properly articulate this analysis for ten years. The tech changes have been so rapid that most have not caught up yet to what it’s doing to their humanity. Simultaneously caught between the instant gratification matrix and trying to make meaning out of their lives, but mostly find themselves completely alone - as the last humans.

Byung Chul Han is a very deep and tricky author to understand and explain, but you do that with such ease and colloquiality. I've been hooked on this channel ever since I dicovered it, keep up the great work man.

Hands up for Han.

LOVE that everyone wants more Han ❤

Thank you for "senior vice-peasant"

I love him.

The way you put it all together- it’s excellent. Thank you Stephen 🙏

Martin Coward has written that being and identity are reliant on others, and there is no self without other. There is a constant search for agonism and alterity that helps people identify themselves; one cannot be in a state of being-alone, but are always being-with. By removing alterity and promoting a myth of being-without-others, of homogeneity, we commit a great act against Being and anthropos. I hadn't thought of it outside of the realm of urbicide, but it is very similar. Perhaps this explains our current tribalist scene, where we have a drive to Other that is going unexpressed naturally due to globalism, neoliberalism, and democracy, leading to the artificial creation of others that is forced and thus much more toxic. Humans are communal creatures and need a sense of belonging, so it finds expression one way or another. I never thought to connect narcissism with the protestant work ethic either, but it makes perfect sense. But I also think the rampant hedonism we see is also a result of this, where people seek pleasure for themselves only. So there is a balance between the commodified self and the hedonic "joy" I suppose. My thoughts, or comments, on the video more specifically though are a little critical. For instance, there is a distinction made between a commodity as self, and a different type of self. What is this different type of self or personhood? How could you describe it to someone who may not know any other way to compose themselves except as a narcissist? Would it simply be the antithesis of narcissistic commodification? Second, I don't think there can be a proper distinction drawn between positive and negative power. Though I agree the panopticon of our age is based upon achievement (and inherently social, as I have elaborated in previous videos), I think these "can" ideas necessarily become "should" ideas. Why else would someone become depressed for not being maximally efficient, if not for a concern that they "should" be doing it? In practice, the two are indistinguishable. You "can" do anything, so you "should" devote yourself to success at all costs. Aside from that, it would be a pleasure to hear more from this thinker. While I could not say no to learning about Hegel through the lens of Lacan, that can wait while you trace out the intricacies of this person first.

Thank you! Appreciate what your doing .

This is a serious contender for best episode ever. Thank you ❤

Apparently electricity gets depressed if it only has a positive. More people bond through their problems then their achievements. Jockeys carry whips not carrots, it always makes me wonder what they’ve done with the carrots.

More Han! ❤

Really good stuff. Thank you.

Just discovered Byung-Chul Han. This essay was enlightening. Thank you for putting it together!

❤Thank you this episode really resonated with me!

Over the years I have heard your videos. This is one that really describes something that I haven't even put into words but totally understand.

Interesting take on post modernity. Smart phones, social media and ever present data connectivity were likely key enablers of the more recent acceleration in the development solipsism, self obsession and detachment from realness...

Profound. More Han!

great episode.thanks

I started to listen this podcast ti improve my english and general knowledge about philosophy and so on. I'm still working on my skills. And I'm here to thank you. What a public service this is! Love ya❤

Incredible episode, one of the most thought provoking, insightful and personally relevant to me for some time.

Love the coverage of contemporary philosophers!!

Excellent episode, and definitely one for the times we live in. Someone mentioned the build up to this episode was excellent and I concur. More Bying-Chul Han!

Thank you Stephen west!!! Love this channel and I feel like Han beautifully expresses thoughts I've been having for a long time. I love that it doesn't just end with a diagnosis but also some solution!!!

Thanks broski, this is fire.

Wonderful episode. Thank you

This Podcast is so precious, please never stop sharing knowledge..you have helped me understand a lot of philosophical ideas.

This was brilliant. Your work is brilliant.

This is so well put. I know these thing but the complete picture this video gives is very helpful.

More Han! Came from listening to the podcast to say this.

I've been listening to your podcasts for a long time. This video like many of the other episodes is excellent. Many thanks for covering Mr. Han. I appreciate that we have such an accomplished contemporary philosopher. Keep up your impressive work!

Agree with more Han!!

Baker coconut cream pie steven west is so preciost 🤣 Ps. More hans pls, technically not 24 hour yet lol

More Han!

Thanks for a great video

We don't need more intelligence in this world but more wisdom. 🙏🙏

Fantastic episode and one which resonates with me deeply. I will explore BCH more in-depth. Thank you PT!

more Han we say!

This is some real shit. 🤝

More Han please!!

That whipping sound tho😂😂😂 that really made me smile

More of Han!

More of Byung-Chul Han plz

This is a great episode Stephen, and actually changed my perspective (like most of your episodes). I wanted to add that there's a great scene from the 1999 film American Psycho, commenting on our society's obsession with ourselves that has been a thing at least since the mid 1980s, when Bret Easton Ellis wrote the book where Patrick Bateman is talking about the concept of empathy, illustrated on a Whitney Houston album to a prostitute named Elizabeth. He says: "The Greatest Love of All" is one of the best, most powerful songs ever written about self-preservation, and dignity. It's universal message crosses all boundaries and instills one with the hope that it's not too late to better ourselves. Since, Elizabeth, it's impossible in this world we live in to empathize with others, we can always empathize with ourselves. It's an important message, crucial really. And it's beautifully stated on the album. Here Bateman does a great job demonstrating the fundamental problem: the condition and sociopolitical and economic forces of our modern world have made it such that it is difficult, if not outright impossible, to empathize with other people. There is little to no benefit to looking out for your colleagues and coworkers when the opportunity cost to focus on improving yourself and your own skills, because to neglect your own personal growth and personal improvement puts you at risk of being rendered "obsolete" by your employer, or "behind the times" or whose skills are "out of date", and that makes you expendable. We live in a decidedly transactional world: your value to a modern corporation only exists so long as you are providing value to it; as soon as you don't, that corporation will pounce on and fire that employee with zero hesitation, zero empathy, and zero remorse. So it is completely unsurprising that in the face of such forces and such incentives, that people will behave in the narcissistic way that Byung-Chul Han describes. Our economic system has reduced other people to mere pawns, whose value is reduced to "what can you do for me?" or "how can I leverage you to improve my state in the world?" Indeed, the entirety of capitalism is based upon this idea of using other people to generate profits. We have effectively been forced to see other people not as fellow humans, but as mere components to our own betterment and survival. A company does not see an employee as a human, nor does it care; a company only cares that that employee unit is doing work that is generating profit. Throughout history, humans have demonstrated an instinct to survive. And in our modern world, to survive means to survive *financially*. So it is unsurprising that we find ourselves forced to view other people through this lens of commodification and "How can you benefit me?" because this is how people use other people to make money and survive financially. It's not personal to take advantage of other people in our capitalist world; on the contrary, it is the socially accepted norm and, in fact, is actually REQUIRED for people to survive in this system that we all find ourselves. So as much as I hear Byung-Chul Han, his views and advice are, sadly, in direct odds with the modern world and its dehumanizing effects. To be clear, I'm not supporting this narcissistic behavior. But rather I'm saying it's impossible (or at least very difficult) to live otherwise in such a system, with such powerful forces being imposed on each and every one of us, every day.

wow. mind blown

😊This episode was refreshing. Sort of like climbing out of a rabbit-hole and climbing a tree. Cheers. Ps, thnx so much Big fan.

the terror of the same. someone ought to make a horror movie about this.

As a recovering wanna-be almost-ex-achiever, I found the first 10 minutes of this talk some of the most mindset shifting moments of my life. Thank you for challenging me.

Very in line with Anselm Jaspe's work

Han the man

Wow! This felt personal! :D This, to me got close to episode 114 “the great refusal” in terms of emotional reaction. You really outdid yourself Stephen. I usually listen on Spotify, but I had to leave a comment. I also love how ferocious you sound with the arguments sometimes. :) Keep it up! I can’t wait for the next episode! Cheers!

I think Byung-Chul Han is more than interesting enough for a second episode. But Slavoj Žižek could be fun too. I see him as a philosophical punk. I guess, as long as the Han insights are not burried for future episodes, and in time we get to learn more about or from him, I'm cool with anything.

This is one of the channels that gave me the courage to start my KZfaq channel 9 months ago about self development. Now I have 1,641 subs and > 1k hours of watch time. I know it’s not comparable with others but I’m still proud I started because I’ve been learning so many lessons that I could haven’t learned without getting started in the 1st place.

damn that's deep

I’ll give you a shout out in my dissertation acknowledgement Steven. I feel warmth of academic knowledge here and that is a rare feeling

Zizek is covered by a lot of podcasts/essayists, I'd love if you can continue on Han. I've read his books, but until this podcast, it didn't stick that much, thanks! This episode sticks with me very well.

The guy who runs my local Pita Pit directed me here when I started questioning everything. Looks like I've come to the right place.

Maybe do one more Han than zizek! I really like Han, fantastic job on this one!!!

Thanks Steve for your commitment and positive contribution to humanity. Your series will outlive you. Would it be appropriate to bring in Ayn Rand and Objectivism around now. From what I have read, her philosophy has greatly contributed to Neoliberalism and the rejection of altruism and possibly the rise of narcissism as you have discussed. Her metaphysics and epidemiology as explained by Leonard Peikoff seems quite solid when you look at her tripod of axioms. I’d really be interested in you discussing or even refuting these and possibly bringing down the deck of cards.

solid.

MORE HAN

More of han

Please talk about Zizek next!!

I'm going to play the self-interested narcissist and skip the finger to go for the whole hand. I'd love to hear more on Han and request your take on Zizek after.

Thank god critical thinking that stops one in their track hasn’t stopped in a world where people think they have failed simply because they don’t want more followers,more money, more more more

"Nobody is putting a gun to your head" Doesn't this largely depend on what part of the world and what strata of society one lives in (such as a country that provides natural resources for a neoliberal economy)? "Say you were born a peasant" Or an unfortunate member of the global south in today's neoliberal world of opportunity. But yes this does apply to those living with first world problems. I look at it as part of the collective karma of being a beneficiary of an exploitative and predatory global neoliberal economy. Its a soulless racket all too familiar in both form & effect, existential issues aside. Great podcast. Stuff gets me thinking....thanks for posting these!

Are there any recommendations on which book is a must read from Han? Have you reached out to see if he would like to contribute to the podcast?

Something on Facundo Cabral (the argentinian philosopher shot in 2011)

More of Han..

Love the Zizek, but more Han please 😊

3:59 positive form of control