Happiness Vampirism

Excerpt from Chapter 1

Consciousness in Crisis

One of the contributing explanations might be that the rapid pace of modern life has outstripped our psychological and emotional capacities to cope.

As the philosopher Søren Kierkegaard[1] once remarked,

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards."

The constant and unrelenting barrage of information, the relentless pressure to succeed, and the ubiquitous presence of social media have created a society where comparison is the thief of joy. Happiness Vampirism.

We are constantly bombarded with images of others' successes, beauty, and happiness, leading us to question our own worth and achievements.

We are learning this new world and don’t have any time to adjust before the next thing is upon us and we’re expected to operate without an instruction manual.

For millennia, we were raised in a village – our entire existence was our family and what we could see with our own eyes, and that was a world of wonder and opportunity, even if it only existed within the confines of our rooms, houses, towns and communities.

Fast forward only… what… 50 years? 70 years if we include the advent of television, we now have access to practically the entirety of the world’s information and instantaneous delivery of the planet’s news and happenings beamed directly into our field of vision and mindsets, with the unrealistic expectation for us to thrive and survive?

Holy crap, that is a big ass pill to swallow.

Furthermore, the conveniences of modern life, while undeniably beneficial, have also contributed to a sense of detachment from many of the things that give life meaning.

Automation and technology have simplified many tasks, but they have also stripped away the satisfaction of doing things by hand, of engaging in deliberate and creative work that brings a sense of accomplishment.

As author and social critic Wendell Berry[2] puts it,

"The more one knows, the more one simplifies."

Our food is fast, our entertainment is instant, and our interactions are often mediated by screens, leading to a disconnect from the physical world and the people around us.

Chronic diseases, too, are often a reflection of the lifestyle that modern society promotes. Sedentary habits, poor diet, and chronic stress are all byproducts of a world that values efficiency and productivity over well-being.

Despite the abundance of health information available, many of us (myself included), find it difficult to break free from the unhealthy patterns that have become ingrained in our daily lives.

The rise of mental health issues can also be seen as a symptom of a deeper existential crisis.

As Viktor Frankl[3], a Holocaust survivor and psychiatrist, noted,

"When a person can't find a deep sense of meaning, they distract themselves with pleasure."

As our basic needs are increasingly met, we are left to grapple with more abstract questions of purpose and meaning, and these are the big words, so we seem to be outsourcing this most precious and important of questions to the outside world, and scarily, those that might profit from the answers.

The crisis of consciousness that many individuals face today - marked by these rising mental health issues, chronic diseases, and a unsettling sense of dissatisfaction, criminally presents a fertile ground for corporate exploitation.

In a society where discontent is rampant, corporations can, and often do, capitalise on these insecurities, by promoting products and services that promise quick fixes or temporary relief. 

Now, I see the glaring and screaming hypocrisy rampaging through here, writing and existing in the very space that I am shitting all over. But I will ask you to bare with me a moment - Just because I am writing about the cancer, doesn’t mean I invented it!

This crisis is manipulated through the commodification of wellness.

Companies sell the idea that health, happiness, and fulfillment can be purchased, offering everything from supplements and wellness apps to self-help books (yep, hypocrisy squared!) and online courses.

While some of these products are beneficial, many are marketed with exaggerated claims, preying on the fears and anxieties of individuals desperate for solutions.

The wellness industry, now worth billions, thrives on the underlying belief that consumers are somehow incomplete and need external products to feel whole.

Moreover, the rise of social media has exacerbated this issue by creating platforms where comparison culture flourishes. Corporations leverage this by using targeted advertising that taps into users' insecurities, promoting products as essential to achieving the idealised versions of life portrayed online.

The relentless pursuit of material success, beauty and status - fueled by corporate messaging, only deepens the crisis, leading consumers into a cycle of perpetual dissatisfaction.

The pharmaceutical industry profits immensely from this crisis. The widespread prescription of antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications and other drugs has become a cornerstone of managing mental health issues.

While these medications are vital for many, the industry's aggressive marketing strategies often push medication as the primary solution, sometimes overshadowing non-pharmaceutical interventions that could address underlying causes.

In essence, the crisis of consciousness has become a lucrative opportunity for corporations, turning human suffering into a source of profit, often at the expense of genuine well-being.

In a world where survival is no longer a daily concern for most, we are confronted with the challenge of finding fulfillment and happiness in a society that often equates these things with material success.

Graham Hancock[4] calls this our

“problem solving state of consciousness”

which is inherently beneficial to an industrial-revolutionised society.

The kicker here, which we all feel, is a growing sense of emptiness and dissatisfaction, as we chase after external validation whilst neglecting what is really important.

In many ways, this crisis of consciousness is a product of our own success.

We have solved so many of the problems that once plagued humanity, but in doing so, we have created new challenges that are less tangible but no less real.

The solution, perhaps, lies not in further technological advancement or material wealth, but in a re-evaluation of our values and priorities.

As Albert Einstein[5] put it,

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted."

In this transition, that we as a society have embraced with open arms, we've also become cynical (perhaps rightly) and inherently made us skeptical towards the institutions that we, throughout history, have turned to when experiencing a crisis of consciousness. Or perhaps put in other words, we've lost our ability for faith.

Without any overtly religious overtones,

perhaps the crisis we are experiencing is the crisis of faith in ourselves?

By making a habit of outsourcing our happiness and our consciousness by proxy, perhaps we have simply forgotten how to believe in ourselves. 

To help navigate this crisis and start regaining the agency of our consciousness, (perhaps the most important real estate we could possibly own), we may need to take a beat and reconnect with the things that truly matter, and re-cultivate a sense of appreciation and gratitude for that privilege in life.

It might mean actively and deliberately trying to find more balance in a world that constantly demands more, learning to be present in the moment, respecting the relationships with others and perhaps most importantly, nurturing a relationship with ourselves.

What exactly are those things, you’re probably asking? 

Well, that might just be the rub, right there.

I have a crude saying about business and more specifically entrepreneurship that might still be relevant here: “Throw shit against a wall until something sticks”, British comedian Jimmy Carr[6] (who is much more of a philosopher than you might imagine) might have said it more eloquently:

“It’s neither the journey NOR the destination. It’s who YOU become ON the journey.”

The crisis of consciousness we collectively are experiencing may be an opportunity in disguise - a chance to redefine what it means to live a fulfilling life in the modern world for ourselves to regain the agency of our own consciousness, and to conquer that crisis.

This is a societal problem, but also a personal pursuit.

The same way they say on a plane, when the oxygen masks drop, you are instructed to first help yourself before you help your children.  How are you meant to help people breath if you can’t yet breath yourself?

By confronting the challenges of your time, we may be able to then help with the challenges of our time, perhaps with a greater and compounding sense of inner peace.

[1] Kierkegaard, S. (1844) The Concept of Anxiety.

[2] Berry, W. (1981) The Gift of Good Land.

[3] Frankl, V. (1946) Man's Search for Meaning.

[4] Hancock, G. (1995) Fingerprints of the Gods

[5] Attributed to Albert Einstein

[6] Carr, J. (n.d.).(Attributed to Jimmy Carr)

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Paperback: Conquer your Crisis of Consciousness

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