Ucieczka od bezradności - book review

As a down-to-earth human I have never really been into philosophy, but at times a conversation with another human can inspire me to reach out for a book (titled: “Escape from the helplessness”), I would not read off my own bat.

The author, Tomasz Stawiszyński is a relatively young (born in 1978) Polish philosopher and author of books and articles as well as podcasts and radio broadcasts. In the set of essays I have delved into, he cracks down on cult of everlasting happiness and omnipresent optimism, both being laid as foundations of late capitalism. But since happiness is not a continual state and optimism is not the mood humans experience all the time, he holds forth that the eternal balance between positivism and negativism ought to be restored.

Historically, as Mr Stawiszyński points out, death was present in societies. The departure of a community member used to be commemorated collectively, then the mourning ensued and is some cases lasted for months or even ages. Mourning and grief were an ordinary element of a human existence and were lived through in communities which facilitated the process of recovery. As the author underlines, each human responds in a different way to a loss. A mourning might last two weeks, or a lifetime and each response fits within the frames of “normality”.

WHO estimates around 350 people around the world suffer from depression, which is categorised as an epidemic only because the disease is not contagious. Individualism, hectic pace of life, bars raised too high, lack of community support, pursuit of material goods, consumerism, loosening bonds between humans and several other civilizational changes could have contributed to the widespread character of the disease. The depression is several cases might turn out to be a grief not lived through properly. Not denying the suffering of people afflicted by it, the author claims too many people are reliant on psychotherapy and antidepressants to cope with their problems whose scale is too miniscule to call them a depression. I actually also detest when somebody calls a temporary low mood a depression, since the illness is too serious to use its name rashly.

From the suffering-related parts of the human psyche, the author switches into the way the human mind deals with complex phenomena. When facing the unknown, it tends to seek the most straightforward explanation. When additionally facing the unthinkable or a black swan, straightforward answers come up as mind-boggling and give rise to conspiracy theories sprouting. 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Smolensk airplane crash or the COVID-19 pandemic are the events which had been beyond our imaginations until they happened.

Further on, Mr Stawiszyński touches upon the role of what I called a noble violence. He argues humans reluctant to commit evil, but think up absurd excuses to justify it. Take the example of Russian invasion to Ukraine – the aim of the “special operation” is to “liberate the areas, free the locals from the fascist government and reinstate peace”. All felonies committed in the history were at best committed as the lesser of two evils. When pondering upon the concept, a proverb “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” springs to mind instantly.

The last chapter makes a reference to the helplessness mentioned in the book’s title. Helplessness, which is indispensable element of life, while the contemporary culture intently attempts to find solutions to all sorts of misery. While in several circumstances humans should just come to terms with their misery.

The summative closing remarks are the most precious excerpts of the book, in which the philosopher calls to bring back the dark side of the human existence. He insists we should summon up strength to face up to all unpleasant, but inevitable experiences, rather than averting it.