Byung-Chul Han, the Korean-born German philosopher, has become an important voice in understanding the nuances of modern existence. Han explores how our fast-paced, achievement-driven lives have created a temporal crisis in his profound writings, particularly The Scent of Time: A Philosophical Essay on the Art of Lingering. He warns that we live in an age of haste, where time feels fragmented and meaningless. This article delves into Han’s analysis and reflects on why modern life feels emptier than ever.
The Sisyphus Syndrome: Trapped in the Grind
In the ancient myth, the cunning king, Sisyphus, was condemned to an eternal cycle of pushing a massive boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll back down every time he neared the top. This endless struggle, devoid of any ultimate achievement or meaning, symbolizes the modern human experience in many ways. Today, millions find themselves trapped in a similarly futile cycle. We live in a culture obsessed with achievement, where success is defined by constant productivity, measurable progress, and unrelenting ambition.
For most people, the modern equivalent of Sisyphus is the daily grind of work, whether it’s meeting the demands of a high-powered job, managing an ever-growing list of tasks, or pursuing personal goals like financial success or the approval of others. The problem arises when this endless pursuit of goals becomes a self-reinforcing loop that leaves no room for introspection, rest, or deeper fulfillment. Despite working harder and achieving more, individuals feel empty, as if the effort is never enough and the rewards are never truly satisfying.
This cycle often begins early in life and intensifies over time. As children, we are encouraged to work hard to succeed in school, sports, or personal pursuits. Later in life, as adults, this drive to achieve becomes even more pronounced. But rather than providing a sense of fulfillment, this constant striving feels like an exhausting, never-ending loop. No matter how significant, each success feels temporary and hollow because the need for the next achievement quickly replaces it. Like Sisyphus, we find ourselves pushing a boulder that always rolls back down, no matter how high we climb.
The effects of this relentless pursuit are far-reaching. Anxiety and burnout become the natural consequences of a life lived in perpetual motion, with no time to pause and reflect. There’s no real joy or satisfaction in the work itself; instead, the focus is on the external validation that comes with accomplishment. This is the danger of living in a society that values achievement above all else—individuals become prisoners to their own need to succeed, forgetting that the true value of life lies not in the quantity of our accomplishments but in the quality of the experiences we have along the way.
Atomized Time: The Loss of Meaning
Time has become atomized in modern society—broken down into disconnected, fleeting moments that lack any coherence. The sense of time as a flowing, continuous experience has been lost in the rush of everyday life. This fragmentation of time leads to a life that feels increasingly disjointed and shallow. Each event or task is reduced to a singular point, with no sense of connection to the past or future. As a result, people experience time as a series of isolated events, each disconnected from the others, lacking the deeper narrative that once gave life meaning.
In earlier times, people experienced time as cyclical. A natural rhythm to life was governed by the seasons, the lunar phases, or religious observances that connected individuals to a larger cycle of existence. For instance, agricultural societies lived in tune with the seasons, and their activities—planting, harvesting, and celebrating—followed a predictable rhythm. This cyclical view of time created a sense of stability and continuity, offering a physical and psychological anchor in the flow of life.
However, the Industrial Revolution and the rise of capitalism ushered in a new conception of time: linear, measured, and fragmented. With the advent of the clock and the push toward productivity, time became something to be managed, optimized, and consumed. Each moment was no longer a part of a larger narrative but a discrete unit to be filled with tasks or experiences. This shift has led to a sense of alienation from time itself—people feel like they are constantly racing against the clock, never able to inhabit or savor any moment fully. The result is a life that feels increasingly detached, each day blurring into the next without any sense of meaning or continuity.
Time has become a commodity, so people are pressured to maximize every minute, filling their schedules with tasks, events, and experiences. But this constant rush has eroded the depth and richness of those experiences. Without the space to reflect, process, and connect with the events of our lives, time feels shallow, and moments lose significance. We live in a perpetual present, unable to tie our past experiences to our future aspirations in any meaningful way. This fragmentation of time, according to Han, is a key factor in why modern life feels emptier than ever.
The Dangers of Overactivity
In today’s world, overactivity has become the standard mode of living. The cultural emphasis on productivity and constant motion has led to a societal obsession with being busy, with the idea that the more active we are, the more valuable our lives become. Han critiques this notion, explaining that the modern form of vita activa—the active life—is no longer just about labor or work but has expanded to encompass nearly every aspect of life, including leisure and personal pursuits. The goal is not just to work hard but to be in perpetual motion, always achieving, doing, or striving for the next thing.
This culture of overactivity has created an environment where downtime is seen as unnecessary or wasteful. There’s a pervasive belief that time spent not achieving, not working, or not being productive is time lost. As a result, people fill every moment with activity, whether managing a packed work schedule, participating in various social events, or keeping up with the constant stream of information and entertainment available through digital media. Even leisure time has become a form of productivity, as people use their time off to “recharge” to be more effective in their work.
But the danger of this constant busyness is that it leaves little room for reflection, introspection, or genuine relaxation. When people are always on the go, they don’t have the opportunity to pause and connect with themselves or with the world around them. The result is a sense of anxiety, restlessness, and burnout, as individuals are caught in a cycle of relentless activity that offers little satisfaction or meaning. Han’s criticism of this culture highlights the importance of slowing down and taking time to rest and reflect rather than always seeking to fill every moment with activity.
The emphasis on overactivity also erodes the quality of the activities themselves. When people are constantly busy, they can no longer truly engage with the tasks or experiences they’re involved in. Work becomes a means to an end rather than something that can be enjoyed or deeply understood. Relationships become transactional as people rush through interactions without taking the time to connect truly. Even leisure activities, which should provide a break from the demands of life, become just another item to check off on a never-ending to-do list.
The False Promise of Quantity Over Quality
One of the most pervasive trends in modern life is the belief that more is better—that the accumulation of experiences, achievements, and possessions will lead to greater fulfillment. This mindset is particularly evident in how we approach leisure and entertainment. Once a slow, contemplative experience, travel has become a race to visit as many places as possible, ticking off a list of destinations without taking the time to engage with any of them truly. Similarly, entertainment has shifted from being something to be savored to something to be consumed in bulk. The rise of binge-watching TV shows is a perfect example of this trend, where the goal is not to enjoy a particular show or film but to consume as much content as possible in the shortest amount of time.
This obsession with quantity over quality is driven by the fear of missing out—the desire to experience as much as possible before time runs out. In our fast-paced, achievement-oriented society, we believe that the more experiences we accumulate, the richer our lives will be. But this mindset overlooks the value of depth and reflection. When we rush through life, constantly moving on to the next thing, we miss the opportunity to savor our experiences truly. Instead of allowing time for reflection or deeper engagement, we check things off our list, creating a superficial sense of fulfillment that leaves us empty.
Even in relationships, this drive for quantity over quality is evident. Serial monogamy, for example, reflects a shift away from deep, long-lasting commitments in favor of short-term, transient experiences. People chase the excitement of new relationships, avoiding the monotony of long-term commitments. The result is a lack of connection depth and continuity, as individuals hop from one relationship to the next without ever investing the time and energy needed to build something meaningful.
The false promise of quantity is that it leads to a sense of accomplishment, but this accomplishment is hollow. The more we accumulate, the less meaningful our experiences become. In pursuing more, we sacrifice the richness and depth of life, leading to a sense of dissatisfaction and emptiness. Han’s critique of this mindset calls for a more contemplative approach to life, where quality and depth take precedence over speed and accumulation.
A New Approach to Relationships: The Pursuit of Novelty
Relationships in the modern world are increasingly defined by novelty and short-term excitement. The long-term commitments that once characterized marriage, family, and friendship have been replaced by a culture of serial monogamy, casual dating, and even polyamory. This shift reflects a broader cultural shift away from depth and stability in favor of novelty and new experiences. The idea of “commitment” has come to be seen as boring or restrictive, while pursuing new experiences is seen as exciting and liberating.
In this environment, relationships are often treated like any other consumer product—something to be used until they no longer provide satisfaction. At this point, they are replaced by something new. The constant search for novelty leads to a cycle of brief, superficial connections with little opportunity for real emotional growth or intimacy. This focus on novelty is driven by the same cultural forces prioritizing quantity over quality, creating a world where relationships are shallow and fleeting.
However, Han’s critique suggests that this pursuit of novelty is ultimately unsatisfying. While short-term excitement may provide temporary fulfillment, it doesn’t lead to lasting happiness or personal growth. True fulfillment in relationships comes from commitment, depth, and the ability to weather the ups and downs of long-term connections. By avoiding the stability of deep commitments, we miss out on the profound experiences that come from truly knowing another person over time.
The Art of Lingering: Rediscovering Depth in a Fast-Paced World
In response to the crisis of modern life, Han proposes a radical solution: the art of lingering. This is the practice of slowing down, reflecting, and truly experiencing the world around us. Rather than rushing through life, always seeking the next achievement or experience, we can learn to linger in the present moment. This approach is rooted in vita contemplativa—the contemplative life—which contrasts sharply with the fast-paced, achievement-oriented vita activa that dominates modern society.
The art of lingering is not about passivity but about being fully present in the moment. It’s about allowing time to unfold slowly, without the pressure to produce or achieve constantly. By embracing contemplation, we can create space for reflection, introspection, and a deeper connection with ourselves and the world around us. This practice allows us to savor the richness of each moment rather than rushing through life in a constant state of hurry.
In practical terms, the art of lingering can take many forms. It might mean spending more time in nature, without a set agenda or timeline, allowing ourselves to be fully present in the environment. It could mean taking a slower approach to travel, spending more time in each place to truly experience it, rather than rushing through a checklist of sights. It might also involve carving out time for solitude and reflection, away from the demands of work and social media. Through these practices, we can begin to rediscover the depth and meaning lost in the rush for productivity.
Conclusion: Time, Not Speed, Leads to Fulfillment
The key to reclaiming a sense of fulfillment in modern life lies in slowing down and embracing the art of lingering. By shifting our focus from achievement and consumption to reflection and contemplation, we can rediscover the richness of life lost in the rush to achieve, experience, and be more. Han’s critique of modern society offers a powerful reminder that fulfillment is not found in the quantity of experiences or the speed of life but in the depth of our engagement with each moment. To truly live, we must learn to linger, to savor time, and to reconnect with the beauty and meaning that resides in the present.