The modern world solves many of our basic problems such as food, water, shelter, a sense of comfort, safety and freedom. For much of humanity, the path was set and the right course of action was clear. The family that you were born into dictated your life e.g if you are a man, you followed your father’s profession and if you are a woman, you became a housewife. The feeling of love wasn’t romanticised and it was more an obligation.
The things we take for granted, now lead us to our demise. The expansion of choice leads to paralysis of the mind. For the third world countries, Nietzsche aphorism rings true.
To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering. — Friedrich Nietzsche
For the people in third world countries, most of their time is spent just surviving and the necessity to move past the third step of Maslow's hierarchy (Love/Belonging) is uninteresting. The need to extend themselves further is not there.
For much of the first world families, they begin on the third step of Maslow's hierarchy (Love/Belonging). Therefore the physical aspect of being is protected and doesn’t require much attention, which can be understood through the high rates of obesity amongst the modern world and the emphasis on beauty and glamour found on social media.
This era of decadence leads many people to wonder “what else?”.
The mind of the modern individual is less focused on themselves and more on the opinion of others. The time used by the Third world countries for surviving is spent frivolously by the modern individual on Social media, TV, Video games, Concerts etc.
The enterprise of the modern individual is to busy himself so he doesn't have to be with himself. This fear of self and following our instincts is what leads people to be in bad relationships, jobs and to ultimately, waste our time.
The prevalence of depression and suicide displays our unwillingness to speak with ourselves. The shift from self-acceptance to self-actualisation is necessary. The romanticism of “self” through words such as self-love, happiness, kindness and empathy, emphasises a kind of emptiness in modern society where the definition and meaning of such words are up for interpretation and never truly understood, let alone be acted upon. Under the guise of connection with each other, we seem to be disconnected with ourselves.
The progression of the modern individual should be measured by his unwillingness to possess externals. Having a realistic, pessimistic POV can ironically lead to optimism and fulfilment. The milestones set by the modern world of a good education, good job, a wonderful marriage, lovely kids, big house, cool car and fun recreational activities work as a way of distraction and replacement of problems faced by people of the third world countries such as shelter, food, water, employment, clothing and health.
See that our perception of such problems only become worse as the human condition becomes better, the more we have, the more we want. The redefinition of words such as happy, wealth, poverty, morality, fulfilment, love, necessity and purpose is necessary. Rather than seeing life as a means to an end, one must seek progress in contentment. Self-actualisation is the progress and self-acceptance is the contentment.
This difference between happiness and contentment is key, as for the modern individual the journey to go within oneself unlocks their full potential, not as a measure of money, wealth and power but a level of satisfaction with one’s life.
Thinking should be the main occupation of the modern individual, not meeting the status quo. As Seneca, the Stoic philosopher rightly points out
If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favourable — Seneca
