Acid Horizon Identity on Credit: Ajax, Achilles, and the Modern Self with Fredrik Westerlund
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Aug 17, 2025 In this discussion, philosopher Fredrik Westerlund, who is exploring the existential challenges of modernity, joins returning guest Nicholas de Warren. They delve into the idea of 'identity on credit,' exploring how our self-worth is often predicated on future recognition rather than present realities. The conversation weaves through classical references from Ajax to Nietzsche, examining themes of honor, madness, and the psychological impacts of social hierarchies. They also tackle the commodification of identity in contemporary capitalism and its implications for personal fulfillment.
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Recognition Powers Identity Formation
- Recognition from others shapes our identity and fuels emotional charge like shame and pride.
- Westerlund emphasizes that identities are motivated by the drive for recognition from the outset.
Identity Built On Existential Credit
- Modern identity often runs on "existential credit": we base present self-esteem on promised future recognition.
- Fredrik Westerlund calls this living on credit and ties it to modern mobility and self-ideals.
Mobility Enables Self-Ideal Buffer
- Modern social mobility loosens fixed roles and enables a separate self-ideal apart from public persona.
- That self-ideal functions as a buffer against current public judgments and fuels future-oriented identity credit.
