Lack of meaningful personal and social paradigms

Nature

A lack of meaningful images prevents people from making decisions which are unrelated to the future of society. Most images do not portray the interrelatedness of people - the concepts of individualism and nationalism have become overruling forces. Social images and roles neglect to portray that each person has the possibility of creating his own future. Images that convey the escaping from situations have emerged.

Background

The global significance of lacking meaningful personal and social paradigms emerged prominently in the late 20th century, as rapid modernization and cultural shifts disrupted traditional frameworks for identity and community. Scholars and social observers began documenting rising feelings of alienation and disconnection, particularly in urbanized societies. This phenomenon gained further attention with the proliferation of digital technologies, prompting interdisciplinary research into the consequences of paradigm erosion for mental health, social cohesion, and collective purpose worldwide.

Incidence

The lack of meaningful personal and social paradigms is increasingly evident across diverse societies, manifesting in rising rates of alienation, mental health issues, and social fragmentation. Surveys in multiple countries indicate a growing sense of purposelessness, particularly among youth, with global studies by the World Health Organization and OECD reporting significant increases in loneliness and disconnection over the past decade. This phenomenon transcends economic and cultural boundaries, affecting both developed and developing nations.
In 2022, Japan reported a record number of young adults experiencing "hikikomori," a condition characterized by extreme social withdrawal. The Japanese Ministry of Health estimated over 1.5 million individuals were affected, highlighting the acute impact of lacking meaningful paradigms for personal and social engagement.

Claim

Increasingly, people suffer from a "sleeping sickness of the soul", namely that there is a lack at some core level of both a meaning in our individual lives and of any sense of collective meaning whereby our lives are part of some greater effort through which we are connected to one another.

Modern man lives amid an immense, complex civilization that he did little to create. It is not surprising if he feels passive and acted upon rather than an actor. His inclination to act is poisoned at the root by a feeling that anything he does takes place in a vacuum of meaninglessness. The sense of universal purpose offered by religion is a lie. Man believes himself important and unique because he has to, but in fact he is neither.

Counter-claim

The so-called "lack of meaningful personal and social paradigms" is an overblown, pseudo-intellectual concern. People naturally adapt, form values, and build relationships without needing grand paradigms to guide them. Societies have always evolved organically, and individuals find meaning in countless ways. Obsessing over abstract paradigms distracts from real, tangible issues. Frankly, this is not an important problem at all—it's a manufactured worry for those with too much time on their hands.