Is Our Society Mentally Ill?

I think you should look into Foucault's Madness and Civilization, it's an excellent work exploring the history of madness and how the medicalization of mental illness has been used as a mechanism of control.

You should also look into Marx's thoughts on alienation, they're a lot like what you describe. We become separated from our work and our lives, and that causes deep social sickness.

 

We don't need new gemeinschaft communities.

Churches are an old arrangement for producing just the result you are looking for. I will also point out here that "multiculturalism" and "diversity" are known to decrease social cohesion.[/quote]

We don't need to redesign society. We just need to live this way. There are many who already embrace such a lifestyle.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simple_living

Not to be too critical, but I doubt that you are wise enough to actually tear down and remake society. I don't disagree with your diagnosis, but I do disagree with your prescription.

You can already live the way you propose. Others will find their own way. Leave them to it.

 

Unjust how so? You get paid what you your worth rather than what you think your worth. yeah, I know it jacks with people's self esteem when they suddenly discover that no one else but mummy will tolerate their crap and that said crap isn't worth nearly as much as they think it should but this is life, you want more, you work more. You get define your own terms of success, and that is all anyone can or should ask of this life. There is however one rather dangerous corollary the more time you spend whining the less time you have to determine your success and the less happiness you will find in your life.

 

I think we will figure it out, but the casualties, in terms of wasted life due to depression and other health problems, will be enormous. Modern society has this tendency to provide so much and, yet, so little. I've been doing a lot of research into other historical periods over the last month or so, and I genuinely believe people are worse off now than they have been in far less technologically developed time periods. I seriously question how much "progress" we've made. I think I would have been happier as a medieval peasant than I am right now lol.

I kind of agree with you, but I disagree with the overall tone of your argument. I think the issues are way beyond "the liberal agenda."Modern society has had, and is creating, enormous casualties that are quite separate from our political environment. Capitalism is part of the problem not because it is failing to accomplish things, but because it is doing it so well. The creative destruction is real, and the casualties are very high.

Conservatives and liberals, tough guys and vaginas, men and women, are all less content than they should be. Material wealth beyond basic subsistence is not enough to sustain a society in the long run. The destruction of small communities and families, caused by capitalism, is having serious consequences, and it isn't far-fetched to suggest that putting the brakes on a little might be a good idea.