Byung-Chul Han’s Warning: Why Modern Life Feels Emptier Than Ever | Einzelgänger

Oct 8, 2025

Philosopher Byung-Chul Han explores how modern life feels increasingly empty due to the fragmentation of time. He argues that our focus on constant achievement creates anxiety and shallow experiences. Leisure activities have turned into mere achievements, lacking genuine engagement. Han advocates for the art of lingering and contemplation as remedies to restore depth and meaning in our lives. By reconnecting with cyclical time and rituals, he suggests we can regain the richness of our experiences and navigate through life more meaningfully.

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INSIGHT

Atomized Time Empties Experience

Modern life fragments time into isolated, directionless moments that lack depth and meaning.
Byung-Chul Han links this atomized time to widespread restlessness, anxiety, and franticness.

INSIGHT

Achievement Mentality Colonizes Leisure

The achievement society turns every activity, including leisure, into another metric to optimize.
Han argues this constant production mindset strips experiences of reflection and depth.

ANECDOTE

Travel As Checklist, Not Presence

The podcast contrasts rushed travel and Instagram-driven sightseeing with meaningful presence.
It compares modern tourists to warehouse workers rushing from shelf to shelf, taking orders.

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ByungChul Han’s Warning: Why Modern Life Feels Emptier Than Ever Philosopher ByungChul Han argues that time has become atomized, causing it to lack direction, coherence, and meaning. As we hop from one event to another, none of these events carry depth or significance, which causes us to feel restless, anxious, nervous, and frantic.Video: ByungChul Han’s Warning: Why Modern Life Feels Emptier Than EverSupport the channel: ✔️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/einzelgangster ✔️ PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/einzelgangerco🎞️ Animations and thumbnail art by Munkaa: https://www.youtube.com/user/jus7yBooks: (affiliate links): 📖 The Urge: Fall of a Stoic: https://amzn.to/3Yc77Kw 📖 Stoicism for Inner Strength: https://amzn.to/3rZU0xL 📖 Stoicism for Inner Peace: https://amzn.to/3e6myLX 📖 Loose: On Letting Stuff Go: https://amzn.to/3QVfrqM 📖 Unoffendable: https://amzn.to/35e23a5Merchandise: 🛍️ Shop: teespring.com/stores/einzelgangerstore 🛍️ Merchandise design by Punksthetic Art: https://www.youtube.com/user/JRStoneart#burnout #byungchulhan #anxiety00:00 Introduction 01:59 Quantity over quality 06:49 The loss of time 13:14 The art of lingering Turn on notifications for the podcast & rate it a 5star for new episodes. Einzelgänger explores a wide range of topics and ideas, with a dose of "as I see it," out of curiosity and creative urge. Einzelgänger is under the supervision of the Dutch Regulatory Media Authority (Commissariaat voor de Media). *Disclaimer: The material provided by Einzelgänger isn't a clinical/medical service or replacement of mental health professionals, nor an academic resource. Disclaimer: This audio project is an independent interpretation of content originally created by Einzelgänger. It was made by a listener who resonates deeply with the channel’s quiet reflections on philosophy, solitude, and selfmastery — and seeks to share that experience in a format suited for stillness, movement, or anything in between. This is not an official production of Einzelgänger, nor is it affiliated with or endorsed by the creator. All rights to the original material remain with Einzelgänger. If you represent the channel and wish to get in touch regarding this adaptation, please feel free to reach out.

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