Addiction, not its absence, is the normal human state under capitalism

Evidence

Like Burroughs, Spinoza shows that, far from being an aberrant condition, addiction is the standard state for human beings, who are habitually enslaved into reactive and repetitive behaviors by frozen images (of themselves and the world). Freedom, Spinoza shows, is something that can be achieved only when we can apprehend the real causes of our actions, when we can set aside the ‘sad passions’ that intoxicate and entrance us. — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism, 149

Categorization

• SEED: A counterintuitive reframe — addiction as default human condition, freedom as the rare achievement — that could anchor an essay on why ‘wellness’ culture misses the point.
• XREF: connects to: Spinoza frames addiction as humanity’s standard state, not an aberration — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism: Is There No…, 149; People remain hooked on capitalism through desire, not coercion. — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk: The Collected and Unpublished…, 1420; A culture of domination depends on addiction to lying and denial — bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress: Education as…, 69 (+1 more)

Related

• Spinoza frames addiction as humanity’s standard state, not an aberration (similarity 0.87)

Broader Connections

• Spinoza frames addiction as humanity’s standard state, not an aberration #corroborates (0.90) — Mark Fisher, Capitalist Realism, 149
• People remain hooked on capitalism through desire, not coercion. #expands (0.82) — Mark Fisher (edited by Darren Ambrose), K-Punk, 1420
• A culture of domination depends on addiction to lying and denial #corroborates (0.78) — bell hooks, Teaching to Transgress, 69
• Functioning addiction can hide depression behind a normal facade #qualifies (0.75) — Alain Ehrenberg, The Weariness of the Self, 607