“As human beings we are presumably creatures of variable impulse with moods and energies that change from one moment to the next. As characters put on for an audience, however, we must not be subject to ups and downs. . . . A certain bureaucratization of the spirit is expected so that we can be relied upon to give a perfectly homogeneous performance at every appointed time.”

There's a war on the individual. People turn inwards because the external battle has already been lost. They defend the last bastions of human autonomy (the self) and thus focus on self-improvement, spirituality and mental health. Meanwhile the external world is doing everything it can do destroy even the last forms of resistance which are left.

Meaning and happiness in life: Help others, live for others, put the needs of the collective you care about before your own (sacrifice). The meaning of life is to help your people. End goal is prosperity, self-sufficiency,

Invest in: love and friendship.

Narcissism society: invest in self and capital detachment / personal focus / live in the moment / hedonism > destroying personal relations

Things to avoid during socialization:

• Avoiding statements of preference contrary to status quo unless the other also signals those contrarian views
• Avoid calling out people if they're not hurting anyone
• I have a tendency to take the opposite view of any discourse going on (or maybe im not oversocialized enough to think the same as the general majority)