Am I Emotionally Dumb Or Does Everyone Sucks Here?
picture of denji from chainsaw man manga with a shocked look on his face
Emotional disconnection in capitalism can be understood as a consequence of the pressure for performance, productivity, and consumption, which leads to exhaustion, anxiety, and the emptying of the individual "self." The logic of the system, which fragments time and transforms life into a search for efficiency, contributes to the suppression of subjectivity and a feeling of emptiness. To be more definitive, let's take this abstract from the article "SUBJECTIVITY NULLIFIED: CAPITALISM AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUPERFICIAL IDENTITIES," which states:
The contemporary capitalist model promotes the suppression of subjectivity by imposing consumption and productivity standards that shape superficial identities. This system transforms individuals into components of an economic machine, reducing their experiences and values to marketable products. Individuals are pressured to conform to external demands, distancing themselves from their authenticity and uniqueness. The relentless pursuit of material goods and status generates a cycle of alienation, where being is replaced by having. The market redefines cultural and social values, turning them into commodities to sustain a constant profit-driven logic. Human subjectivity, as an expression of uniqueness and essence, is suppressed by the weight of the economic system, resulting in a profound disconnect between individuals and their true selves. Thus, contemporary capitalism not only promotes the standardization of identities but also undermines the sense of authenticity, creating individuals who conform to external expectations and live under the logic of excessive consumption. The construction of superficial identities serves the system, perpetuating a culture of alienation and continuous dissatisfaction, while the space for authenticity is progressively diminished.
a random picture of the met gala to represent the people from the Capitol
This behavior is well demonstrated even in the characters in the Hunger Games book who would be the "villains" of the plot, although the focus is not on them, and the book focuses on some people from the districts, as the book is set in a dystopian future where a part of the world called Panem, after wars and natural disasters due to climate change, has been divided between the capital and the districts that serve them. In this context, the Capitol's citizen characters are a perfect reflection of our current society, full of exuberance, luxury, norms, and reputations. The Capitol seems freer than the people of the districts, but its reality is confined to this.
screenshot of capital people from the movies or some cosplay event
The Capitol, alienated and often numbed by high-grade drugs, has lost its sensitivity to the atrocities committed against other human beings in the districts that serve them, often considering them not even human, merely entertainment or a useful and disposable tool, ready to be used if they need to increase their social status, improve a grade in school, or gain a career. Likewise, our society, by capitalizing on the misfortune of others and taking advantage of it, creates an emotional and moral barrier to protect our feelings, because "that's how things work." So, powerless to do anything, we revert to what we can control: frivolity and social interactions. Much easier than changing an entire system, and if you don't feel it, you don't need to worry, right? It's not good for you.
Anyway, I'm reading The Hunger Games and saw something about alexithymia as a social phenomenon, not just a psychological one. After discussing it with some friends, we came to this observation. It's not a moral judgment; practically every society exhibits such behaviors given time and population size. Human beings aren't black and white, after all. But the interesting thing about seeing this population hardening as something systemic is that it shifts the focus. This way, we can seek other solutions to deal with other people's suffering, with more ideas. Maybe one day we won't need to turn the other cheek.
screenshot of chainsaw man opening where all characters are at the cinema