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Burnout, Burn Up, Burn It Down: Hartmut Rosa's Diagnosis of Modern Life

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Jan 22, 2026

Guest

Matthew David Segall

In this engaging discussion, Matthew Segall, a philosophy professor and writer at 'Footnotes to Plato,' dives into Hartmut Rosa's thought-provoking concepts. They explore the idea of a 'frenetic standstill' in modern life, where constant acceleration leads to burnout and dissatisfaction. Matthew illustrates this with metaphors like whirlpools and bicycles. Instead of controlling our lives, Rosa suggests we seek resonance—a transformative relationship with the world. They also connect these ideas to themes of religion and creativity, proposing a shift towards listening and encounter.

01:34:03

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INSIGHT

Frenetic Standstill Of Modernity

Hartmut Rosa diagnoses modernity as a 'frenetic standstill' where we accelerate just to stay in place.
The system requires continuous growth and speed to avoid collapse, producing chronic exhaustion and burnout.

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ANECDOTE

Above-Ground Pool Whirlpool Metaphor

Tripp uses an above-ground pool whirlpool as a social metaphor for dynamic stabilization.
If you try to stop, you get pulled under; survival means matching the whirlpool's accelerating speed.

insights

INSIGHT

The Triple A Horizon Of Control

Rosa names the modern promise the 'triple A horizon': available, accessible, attainable.
That promise centers on control and mastery, which flattens experience and fuels aggressive acquisition.

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Announcing the Time and World Reading Group

03:51 • 53sec

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Why Rosa Fits Process Philosophy

04:44 • 1min

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Introducing Time and World

05:47 • 1min

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Rosa's Sociological Task

06:49 • 4min

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Frenetic Standstill and Dynamic Stabilization

11:13 • 4min

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The Bicycle and Whirlpool Metaphors

15:01 • 5min

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Ecological Costs and Structural Limits

20:17 • 2min

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Aggression, Burnout, and Social Exclusion

22:20 • 5min

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The Triple-A Horizon: Availability, Accessibility, Attainability

27:41 • 3min

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Bifurcation, Instrumental Reason, and Control

30:21 • 6min

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Paradox of Control: Mute World and Monsters

36:03 • 7min

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Resonance as the Antidote

42:35 • 5min

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Resonance and Whiteheadian Translation

47:35 • 3min

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Echo Chambers, Social Media, and Alienation

Religion, Prayer, and Listening vs. Magic

54:47 • 6min

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Participatory Theurgy and Creative Cooperation

01:01:16 • 4min

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Uncontrollability as Gift and Liturgical Resonance

01:05:18 • 9min

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Practical Invitation: Stop, Listen, Create Space

01:14:34 • 11min

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Connections to Logos, Sophia, and Incarnation

Uncontrollability explores the limits of human control and the consequences of our attempts to dominate the natural and social world. Rosa argues that the modern pursuit of control, driven by technological progress and economic imperatives, has led to a sense of alienation and a loss of connection with the world. He examines how our efforts to manage and predict the future often result in unintended consequences and a growing sense of insecurity. The book proposes that embracing uncontrollability is essential for fostering resilience and creating a more sustainable and fulfilling way of life. Through a wide-ranging analysis of various aspects of modern society, Rosa challenges us to rethink our relationship with the world.

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• Mentioned in 4 episodes

For the Common Good

Redirecting the Economy toward Community, the Environment, and a Sustainable Future

Herman Daly

John Cobb

In this book, economist Herman E. Daly and theologian John B. Cobb, Jr., argue that conventional economics and a growth-oriented industrial economy have led to environmental disaster. They propose a new economic model that emphasizes community, environmental sustainability, and a holistic approach to economic policy. The authors suggest policies such as taxing industrial polluters, worker participation in management and ownership, reduced military spending, and a more self-sufficient national economy. The book is recognized for its comprehensive critique of neoclassical economic theory and its vision for a sustainable market guided by values and emotions as well as rational economic thought.

#4435

• Mentioned in 10 episodes

Resonance

A Sociology of Our Relationship to the World

Hartmut Rosa

In this book, Hartmut Rosa argues that the acceleration of modern life has not led to greater happiness or contentment. Instead, he proposes that the quality of human life should be measured by our 'resonance' with the world. Rosa applies his theory of resonance across various domains of human activity, including family, politics, work, sports, religion, and art. He contends that modern society's crises, such as environmental, democratic, and psychological crises, can be understood through the lens of resonance and our distorted relationship to the world. The book emphasizes the importance of forming meaningful, unpredictable, and uncontrollable connections with the world, highlighting the concept of alterity and the need to embrace the world's mystery and elusiveness.

• Mentioned in 2 episodes

Why Democracy Needs Religion

Hartmont Rosa

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• Mentioned in 379 episodes

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Dale Carnegie

First published in 1936, 'How to Win Friends and Influence People' by Dale Carnegie is a timeless guide to improving interpersonal skills. The book is divided into four main sections: Six Ways to Make People Like You, Twelve Ways to Win People to Your Way of Thinking, and Nine Ways to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment. Carnegie's principles emphasize the importance of genuine interest in others, active listening, and avoiding criticism and argument. The book offers practical advice on how to build strong relationships, communicate effectively, and influence others by aligning their self-interest with yours. It has been a cornerstone of personal development and business success for generations.

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• Mentioned in 3 episodes

Religion in the making

Alfred North Whitehead

This book, originating from four lectures delivered in King's Chapel, Boston, in February 1926, examines the relationship between human nature and religion. Whitehead rejects dogma and explores the connection between religious transformation and the transformation of knowledge. He encourages readers to develop a conception of faith that is compatible with the changing nature of experience. The book analyzes the emergence of religion through stages such as ritual, emotion, belief, and rationalization, and it discusses the contribution of religious knowledge to metaphysics. Whitehead also critiques traditional religious dogma and advocates for a more dynamic and adaptive understanding of faith.

What is up, Theology Nerds! This week I'm joined by my buddy Matthew Segall from the Footnotes to Plato Substack to announce something exciting: we're doing a joint reading group on Hartmut Rosa's new book Time and World. Rosa's a German sociologist who does big-picture thinking—like old school "let me tell you about modernity" stuff—and his work resonates deeply with process philosophy. His diagnosis? We're stuck in what he calls a frenetic standstill—exhausted, burnt out, running faster just to stay in place. I gave Matt my above-ground pool whirlpool metaphor: we're all running in circles, and if you stop, you get pulled under. Modernity promises us the good life through control—making everything available, accessible, attainable—but the cost is a mute world and the birth of monsters. Rosa's antidote isn't slowing down; it's resonance—a mode of relationship where we're genuinely touched, we respond, we're transformed, and we accept it's all gloriously uncontrollable. Process folks will eat this up: it's Whitehead's prehension, creativity, and divine persuasion in sociological clothing. The invitation? Stop. Listen. Let the world address you again. If you want to join us for the Zoom sessions this February, become a member of either Process This or Footnotes to Plato—preferably both. See you soon.

You can WATCH the conversation on YouTube⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Join us at Theology Beer Camp, October 8-10, in Kansas City!

Dr. Segall is a transdisciplinary researcher and teacher who applies process philosophy to various natural and social sciences, including consciousness. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, CA.

Make sure you check out SubStack Footnotes to Plato, his YouTube channel, and his recent book.

Previous Podcasts with Matt

The Meaning Crisis in Process
Processing the Political
Cosmology, Consciousness, and Whitehead’s God.
Science, Religion, Eco-Philosophy, Etheric Imagination, Psychedelic Eucharist, Ecological Crisis and more…⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠

UPCOMING ONLINE LENT CLASS: Jesus in Galilee w/ John Dominic Crossan⁠

What can we actually know about Jesus of Nazareth? And, what difference does it make?

⁠This Lenten class ⁠begins where all of Dr. John Dominic Crossan's has work begins: with history. What was actually happening in Galilee in the 20s CE? What did Herod Antipas' transformation of the "Sea of Galilee" into the commercial "Sea of Tiberias" mean for peasant fishing communities? Why did Jesus emerge from John's baptism movement proclaiming God's Rule through parables—and what made that medium so perfectly suited to that message? Only by understanding what Jesus' parables meant then can we wrestle with what they might demand of us now.

⁠The class is donation-based, including 0, so join, get info, and join up here.

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