Topic

Modern Society

How comparison, pace and constant availability shape the way we judge ourselves and our lives.

13 articles

What this topic is about

A lot of what feels like a personal shortcoming has a shared cause in the surroundings: constant comparison, high pace, permanent availability. This section looks at the social side of topics usually negotiated individually.

In focus

Psychology

September 9, 20268 min read

Why You Think Other People Notice You More Than They Actually Do

We experience ourselves from the front row. That's why every small mistake feels so present – even though most other people forgot about it almost immediately.

Psychology
September 5, 20266 min read
When Your Worth Depends on What You Produce
Rest only feels permitted once enough has happened first. A pattern that forms quietly and noticeably changes how you look at yourself.
Psychology
September 5, 20266 min read
When Success Becomes the New Baseline
Something works out – and a few weeks later it no longer feels like an achievement but like the standard you now have to hold.
Emotional Intelligence
August 30, 20267 min read
Overexplaining: When a Simple No Never Feels Like Enough
Some people do say no. They just can't stop justifying it. What's behind that, and what it changes in the conversation.
Psychology
August 26, 20267 min read
The Fear of an Ordinary Life
A decent job, reliable relationships, quiet weekends. Objectively a good life – and still the thought arrives that it should have amounted to more.
Psychology
August 25, 20267 min read
When a Hobby Slowly Turns Into a Project
The route from enjoyment to obligation runs through small, reasonable steps. Which is exactly why you only notice it at the end.
Psychology
August 23, 20267 min read
The Invisible Mental Load of Everyday Life
It isn't the doing that drains you. It's the constant keeping-track: what needs remembering, what's still open, who needs what and when.
Emotional Intelligence
August 22, 20267 min read
Adult Friendships: When Staying Close Suddenly Takes Work
There's no moment when friendships become difficult. There's only the day you notice they no longer happen by themselves.
Habits & Behavior
August 16, 20267 min read
Doomscrolling: When Five Minutes Suddenly Become an Hour
You picked up your phone to check one thing. An hour later you put it down and couldn't say what actually happened in between.
Emotional Intelligence
August 13, 20268 min read
The New Loneliness: Many Contacts, Little Real Connection
The calendar is full, the group chats never stop, you know plenty of people. And still there are evenings when nobody comes to mind you'd tell something unfinished to.
Habits & Behavior
July 12, 20266 min read
The Attention Crisis: Why Focus Is Becoming the Superpower of the 21st Century
We live in a world where everything is competing for our attention.
Psychology
May 29, 20266 min read
Why People Suddenly Want to Change Their Life at Night
It often happens at night. Not at noon in the office. Not between meetings. Not while scrolling through social media.
Emotional Intelligence
May 21, 20265 min read
The Silent Epidemic: People Who Function but Feel Nothing Anymore
There are people who get up every morning, work, reply, plan, function — and still feel like they're slowly disappearing inside.