Surplus-Enjoyment

Contemporary life is defined by excess. There must always be more, there is never enough. We need a surplus to what we need to be able to truly enjoy what we have. Slavoj Žižek's guide to surplus (and why it's enjoyable) begins by arguing that what is surplus to our needs is by its very nature unsubstantial and unnecessary. But, perversely, without this surplus, we wouldn't be able to enjoy, what is substantial and necessary. Indeed, without the surplus we wouldn't be able to identify what was the perfect amount.
Is there any escape from the vicious cycle of surplus enjoyment or are we forever doomed to simply want more? Engaging with everything from The Jokerfilm tot popsongs en Thomas van Aquino tot de geschiedenis van pandemieën, stelt Žižek dat het erkennen van de samenleving van genot waarin we leven voor wat het is, een verklaring kan bieden voor de politieke impasse waarin we ons vandaag bevinden. En als we beginnen, zelfs een klein beetje, te erkennen dat de klompjes van...