relativism

If we were to take a careful look at the postmodern spectacles through which our generation views the world, the increasing rates of mood disorders seem contradictory. In an age where people are encouraged to express themselves in any way they please, especially if it makes them “feel good,” or “happy,” the results should have been quite different.

The generation that preaches unfiltered love, tolerance at all costs, and total acceptance of the unacceptable, as long as “you don’t hurt others,” should be the most liberated and satisfied generation that ever existed. Right? By that logic, depression, anxiety, and suicide should have been extinct by now. Yet it is this very generation that is struggling with hopelessness and suicidal thoughts the most.

I have come across many individuals who were fierce defenders of the idea that healing is achieved by living a “care free” life that gave them a safe space to express themselves without the burden of being judged. Those individuals held the very true belief that “love is what matters.” I’ll be the first one to say that I also believe that we should be able to express ourselves freely without being judged, and that love is indeed what matters.

So what’s the difference? There is a problem in how those beliefs are lived. Although the belief itself may be innocent and true, how that belief is manifested makes all the difference. If it means that now I’m “free” to give in to my base instincts, experiment with mind altering substances, and have sex with anything that moves as long as nobody is hurt, then we have a problem. The otherwise true belief becomes a slave master in freedom’s clothing. The sure result of manipulating freedom into lawlessness is an illusory utopia that never satisfies. At least in my experience dealing with “postmodern” depression, those were the very individuals who had the most intense battles with self hate. And it happened in a context where their individuality and lifestyle was respected, sometimes even encouraged by peers and providers.

History is filled with examples of ideas and philosophies that seem foolproof in theory, but their practicality is not so simple. During the French Revolution, the seven-day week was replaced by a ten-day week with the implementation of the the French Republican Calendar. Their rationale was to eliminate all vestiges of religion and to improve life with the decimalization of France (Ronan, C. et al, 2005). Of course that did not work. The dark history of the holocaust was due to Hitler’s demonic idea of trying to purify and improve society by insisting certain races were superior to others. Of course that evolutionary concept didn’t work either (Weikart, R. 2004). Europe has tried to unify itself for centuries, an idea that seems great on the surface, but it is still not working. As long as people keep trying to change or improve the principles that govern this universe, they will continue to fail, no matter how “good” the idea seems.

Western civilization has seen a gradual philosophical shift over the last few decades that exemplifies this reality. In trying to incorporate a dialectical worldview into an “either-or” society built on Jodeo-Christian values, we have not become enlightened, we’ve become confused. Though sometimes it takes a while for the practical ineffectiveness of the “both-and” worldview to appear, it inevitably does.

Society preaches that we should embrace diversity while simultaneously insisting we are all the same. That we should search for truth, meaning and purpose while shaming those who find it. That we should tolerate all lifestyle choices and perspectives while being intolerant of those who don’t hold that opinion. That absolute truth doesn’t exist while insisting that this idea is an absolute truth. That all opinions are to be respected while protesting those who don’t see things that way.

These confusing beliefs prevent people from developing depth of thought and expanding their minds, because the moment they do so they will realize the inefficiency of their belief system. Many individuals prefer to feel “offended” than to humbly reevaluate their worldview. This is a loss that few are willing to experience, so they just keep the spotlight on the surface and plug their ears to common sense. The Bible doesn’t miss a beat in describing this very attitude:

“But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears.” Zechariah 7:11.

The prophet Jeremiah spent his ministry trying to reason with people who chose not to listen, and in many ways our generation reflects his story:

“To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.” Jeremiah 6:10.

This willful refusal to acknowledge the whole truth is not unique to postmodern minds. In a sense it reminds me of a child plugging her ears while babbling in order to avoid hearing something that will awaken her morality. As people age, that attitude may not change, it just gets more sophisticated.

It is not difficult to notice that our generation is desperately trying to silence its conscience and “relativise” the pillars of our society by making self king. It has been over 500 years since Copernicus established that the earth is not the center of the universe. This generation is taking a further step backwards and insisting that each self is the center of their universe; a model that is bound to implode. Perhaps in some cases the spike in mood disorders is just a crushing manifestation of that implosion.

How about you? Have you been noticing the philosophical bedrock beneath your feet subtly shifting? Do you see a change so massive you have a hard time pinpointing what’s really going on?  Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below; I’m always willing to dig deeper and to keep learning.

Sources:

Ronan, C (2005). The Western Calendar and Calendar Reforms. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/science/calendar/The-Western-calendar-and-calendar-reforms

Wekart, R (2004). From Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics and Racism in Germany. Palgrave Macmillan.