Komfortismus
is a term I came across which first got me thinking about comfort as a problem.
German social scientist Werner Sombart coined it in World War I and it was used
to glorify the ‘hero’ mentality as opposed to the ‘merchant’ mentality of
Britain and capitalist Western type cultures. The merchant mentality of
komfortismus is one obsessed with material and physical comfort, and generally
also the making of money to ensure that comfort. Of course we could identify plenty
of problems with the hero mentality too, but something of komfortismus did resonate and
made me think in terms of problematizing comfort.
Situating excessive comfort seeking as a problem, or the theory that some discomfort is a natural and necessary / edifying / generative experience... As Bernadette and some of our discussions went over yesterday, there is and has been a spiritual / religious connection, if not simply philosophical, perspective on this for millenia...
“what does not kill me makes me stronger” Nietzsche (Twilight of the Idols, 1888)
“difficulties strengthen the mind, as labour does the body” Seneca
(5 BC - 65)
“uncertainty is an uncomfortable position. But
certainty is an absurd one” Voltaire (1694 – 1778)
“…my first observation… will be found very
nearly true; that the sublime is an idea belonging to selfpreservation. That it
is therefore one of the most affecting we have. That its strongest emotion is
an emotion of distress, and that no pleasure from a positive cause belongs to
it.” (Burke, p.79)
The above quote concerns the concept of the Sublime which is so interesting, and the concept of Catharsis also occurs to me as pertinent. Again both theories resonate with the potential beauty, need for and edifying / generative quality of uncomfortable affects.
hey! I love love love this post i think you have higligted a really key issue we face in this project. the word comfort is seen as inherently good so its difficult to critique. this post made me think of newspeak in the classic dystopian text 1984. the government eradicates all negative words so for example citizens cant directly say something is bad (the word doesn't exist!) they would have to say un good. Thus making it difficult for them to critique the government or society as a whole. Maybe to critique comfort we need to make a word that means bad comfort. At the moment the concept of 'bad comfort' is an oxymoron so difficult to articulate. Its like in Japan they have a word for when you are 75% full and should stop eating that idea is almost made more real when there exists a direct word to identify it - language effects their experience of the world. We need to expand our tool box for critiquing comfort and i think a world will do that.
ReplyDeleteYES YES YES that is such an important point and development Rosie! I had been thinking mainly of the concepts behind the words, but you're so right about the importance of the terms themselves. Newspeak is incredible tool to highlight here. SO interesting about the Japanese word. A word for bad comfort would be amazing almost a micro intervention in itself.
ReplyDeleteSome excellent points here - v interesting! Now you've got to find a way to turn it into action!
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely amazing, Sari! and Rosie too!
ReplyDeleteI think we could make good use of the word "myopic"; short-sighted.
If we aim for short-term comforts, in the long-run our comfort is likely to be worse. And/or our achievements, happiness, satisfaction all worse too.
Discomfort brings the ability to process. A necessary evil.