The Happiness Fantasy

Résumé du livre

Carl Cederström is an associate professor of organization studies at the Stockholm Business School of Stockholm University. He is the coauthor of Dead Man Working (2013), The Wellness Syndrome (2015) and Desperately Seeking Self-Improvement: A Year Inside the Optimization Movement (2018). He has also written articles for a variety of publications including the Guardian, the Washington Post, New Scientist and Harvard Business Review.

The happiness illusion, rooted in Wilhelm Reich’s controversial theories from 1920s Vienna, found new life in California’s counterculture of the 1960s and 70s. Reich’s focus on sexuality, orgastic potency, and anti-authoritarianism resonated with movements like Gestalt therapy at the Esalen Institute, which sought to dismantle psychological barriers and foster self-expression. His ideas influenced figures like Fritz Perls and later shaped the human potential movement, which evolved from countercultural ideals to corporate self-actualization rhetoric. Werner Erhard’s est seminars amplified these themes, emphasizing personal responsibility and effort as keys to success, a philosophy echoed in Western culture and popularized by figures like Oprah Winfrey. Over time, the commercialization of these ideas blurred the lines between personal growth and corporate interests, leaving a complex legacy of empowerment intertwined with systemic challenges.

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