Affective bulimia as a payhological portrait of the liquefied subject

a review of Roberto Palacio

Abstract

This manuscript discusses the work La era de la ansiedad: sobre el pensamiento y la emocionalidad en un mundo sin utopías (Palacio, 2023). The publication investigates anxiety, diagnosing the current suffering caused by the absence of grand narratives. The modern subject attempts to fill this void through identity performances on social media and the disposable consumption of affects (emotional bulimia). Cancel culture and moral polarization are presented as failed attempts to forge new convictions in a landscape devoid of meaning. The essayist proposes the philosophical acceptance of this anguish, which is intrinsic to human existence. However, the review highlights limitations in this individually focused diagnosis, emphasizing that psychological exhaustion strongly results from the socioeconomic structures of late capitalism. Despite this pertinent structural critique, the undertaken analysis consolidades the vital debate on mental health, clearly translating complex philosophical concepts for a general audience.