Angststillstand

How can it be that freedom of expression in liberal societies like Germany reaches its limits, even though we have no restricted fundamental rights and countless opportunities for expressing opinions? In the course of the development of individuality since the beginning of the bourgeois era, a new vulnerability has emerged in the 21st century, which poses a test for our society. The more we expand our individuality and take things personally, the more easily we feel offended, insulted, or disregarded. Accelerated by social media and its potential for online outrage and cancel culture, society in Germany is increasingly caught in a state of fear. How can bold and decisive politics, as well as provocative art and culture, still be possible when someone feels hurt everywhere and at all times? The key may lie in a new resilience and calmness that allows space for both one’s own sensitivity and that of others.