Are people assholes?
And, more specifically, are we all becoming more asshole-like over time? Impatient, unyielding, individualistic, and full of righteous rage?
Dutch media have been writing for years about the increase in aggressive, anti-social behavior and a corresponding decrease in empathy. Society is becoming ever more individualized, and events and ongoing processes like the corona pandemic and immigration have supposedly diluted the sense of belonging or bonding in the (nation) group. Add to that an increase in mental health problems, all manner of global conflicts and crises, various societal pressures and political changes, and you have a perfect recipe for a survival-of-the-fittest type of society. One where aggression, impatience, verbal abuse, and even violence become more commonplace.
Let’s talk about this tendency to violence and aggression in society (“huftergedrag”, “verharding,” or “asociaal gedrag” in Dutch). Is it imagined, or real? If it is real, how should we deal with it, collectively? How do you deal with on a personal level? Do you meet hostility with kindness, to try and de-escelate no matter the cost, or are you prepared to meet violence with violence? Wait – are you one of the assholes? 😱
EXISTENTIAL TUESDAYS
Existential Tuesdays are small weekly* lunch discussions in the Nook of the TUD Library. Practice your critical thinking skills, learn to see the world from different perspectives, and hang out with your fellow deep thinkers in Delft.
Interested in other events in the Nook? Sign up for the newsletter to find out what else we’re planning.
* no sessions during exam weeks or study weeks
Explore SG’s related events this quarter on the theme: Loneliness
Is loneliness a totally normal, private feeling? Is it an epidemic caused by technology? Is it a silent killer or a beautiful part of being human? The Studium Generale theme for this quarter is Loneliness. Through a series of events focusing on loneliness, we can look at this fascinating phenomenon through different lenses. From writing workshops to philosophical examinations, we invite you to connect with others and talk through what loneliness means to you.
Existential Tuesday: Is monogamy dead? | Nov 12th | @ The Nook
Writing Huddle | Loneliness | Nov 14th | @ The Nook
Existential Tuesday: Are you alone in the void? | Nov 19th | @ Faculty of Applied Sciences
Existential Tuesday: Can we live without private space? | Nov 26th | @ The Nook
VOX Discussion night: (When) Is family a choice? | Nov 26th | @ The Nook
Existential Tuesday: Has society become more hostile? | Dec 3rd | @ The Nook
Critical Mass | Samenleven | Dec 9th | @ Theater de Veste
Loneliness, sex, and robots | Dec 10th | @ Library
Writing Huddle | Self-portrait on the Fly | Dec 12th | @ The Nook
Existential Tuesday: Do you imagine your life has a plot? | Dec 17th | @ The Nook
