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Hasir Mushtaq

@hsrmk.com

Currently a Sr. Software Engineer at @oracle.com, studied Electronics and Communications Engineering at @iiit.ac.in (IIIT Hyderabad)

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Hasir Mushtaq@hsrmk.com

Hasir Mushtaq@hsrmk.com

· hsrmk.com

Hasir Mushtaq

@hsrmk.com

#Movies #The Odyssey1/6

“Modern life requires constant self-control, planning, labor, and productivity. Many forms of leisure are essentially brief suspensions from this constant pressure. You watch TV, drink alcohol, scroll endlessly, or immerse yourself in entertainment partly because you need relief from the anxiety and strain of maintaining a modern self.

The Odyssey Explains Why Nobody Can Relax Anymorerobkhenderson.com

12:24 PM · Oct 6, 2026

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Hasir Mushtaq@hsrmk.com·Oct 6

Hasir Mushtaq@hsrmk.com·Oct 6

Hasir Mushtaq@hsrmk.com·Oct 6

Hasir Mushtaq@hsrmk.com·Oct 6

Hasir Mushtaq@hsrmk.com·Oct 6

#Movies #The Odyssey2/6

“This by the way was Roy Baumeister’s argument in his 1991 book Escaping the Self. Baumeister said that the modern self is to some extent a construction maintained at constant mental cost. Sustaining it requires evaluating yourself against external standards, management of long-term goals, awareness of how you are perceived, and so on.

The Odyssey Explains Why Nobody Can Relax Anymorerobkhenderson.com

#Movies #The Odyssey3/6

“So when this burden becomes too much to bear, people pursue what Baumeister characterized as “cognitive deconstruction”. This means narrowing your attention to immediate sensation and shedding your concerns about time and self-referential thought. Alcohol, drugs, gambling, binge eating, masochism, spectator sports, religious ecstasy, television, and, in extreme cases, suicide. All attempts to escape the burden of a disciplined and cohesive self.

The Odyssey Explains Why Nobody Can Relax Anymorerobkhenderson.com

#Movies #The Odyssey4/6

“Odysseus bound to the mast can be thought of as the prototype of every striving professional who white-knuckles through the workweek and then needs distraction, intoxication, or something stranger or stronger to escape the burden of selfhood.

The Odyssey Explains Why Nobody Can Relax Anymorerobkhenderson.com

#Movies #The Odyssey5/6

“Anyway, they say modern capitalist societies organize life around work and obedience. The capitalist cannot simply step outside the system and relax. Competition requires constant and tireless effort, expansion, production, and accumulation. This creates one of the central paradoxes of modern civilization. Technological progress produces comfort, abundance, and entertainment. Yet people often feel psychologically constrained, anxious, and spiritually empty. The Sirens symbolize a threat to this established order because they promise immersive pleasure rather than rigid discipline.

The Odyssey Explains Why Nobody Can Relax Anymorerobkhenderson.com

#Movies #The Odyssey6/6

“Human beings are torn between instinct and discipline. Between pleasure and duty. This can leave people feeling psychologically exhausted.

The Odyssey Explains Why Nobody Can Relax Anymorerobkhenderson.com