The 9 most interesting quotes by Slavoj Žižek

Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher, psychoanalyst and sociologist who has gained great notoriety throughout the world. thanks to its sharp and deep perspective of contemporary reality. He uses fresh and ingenious language to explain his positions, something that has given him recognition and prestige in the “cultural showcase.”

Žižek’s approaches mix the principles of dialectical materialism with Lacanian psychoanalysis. Its intention is to explain current popular culture. It denounces the ideological traps of power and its manifestations, seeking to open consciousness towards the understanding of new realities. Furthermore, he does it with simplicity and without losing his sense of humor.

One of the most interesting aspects of Žižek is that he uses cinema and literature to explain their approaches. In particular, he frequently watches the films of Alfred Hitchcock and David Lynch. Likewise, he quotes Shakespeare, Kafka or Lenin with great naturalness.

Žižek is an anti-establishment philosopher. His thinking proposes and promotes an attitude of resistance against consumerism and the abuses of the market. He is also a declared enemy of political and religious fundamentalisms. Some classify him as an anarchist, but in reality he is above all an acid critic of current times. These are some of his most interesting statements.

A life devoid of substance

It would seem that now ways of existing that “do not touch” life are promoted, as this extraordinary reflection points out: “It seems as if at every level we are increasingly living a life devoid of substance. beer is consumed without alcohol, meat without fat, coffee without caffeine, and, eventually, virtual sex… without sex”.

In that text, Žižek describes very well this current position of rejection of everything “negative”, as if each reality did not entail benefits and harms. Absolutely everything implies a loss and a profit, even those aseptic postures. In this sense, wanting to stay away from “the bad” is nothing more than childish paranoia.

Not changing people, but systems

For Žižek the individual is largely determined by his environment. To the point that it is difficult for him to recognize if his thoughts and actions arise from himself or are the result of structural influence. In this regard he points out: “You can’t change people, but you can change the system so that people aren’t pushed to do certain things.”.

The statement is aimed at pointing out that many behaviors are induced by the system of relationships, values ​​and beliefs in which an individual operates. Thus, To induce certain personal changes, the context must also be transformed.

Not acting is letting them act

Power operates in different ways on people. It is the same power that induces an attitude of passivity or indifference in some human beings. This is captured in this phrase: “The fact of doing nothing is not empty, it has a meaning: saying yes to existing relations of domination”.

This can be applied to both everyday situations and large social events. Not acting, not actively intervening, is a way of accepting the dominant conditions.. And such conditions are imposed from power, in order to perpetuate themselves.

The same can be said for private individual life. Whoever remains in a state of passivity is obeying a family or inner circle mandate.. It is the manifestation of totalitarianism in private life. Whoever feels that he has nothing to do, even if he does not realize it, he is obeying another.

Love, a misfortune

Žižek departs from the romantic vision of love. On the contrary, he gives this a heartbreaking role: “Love is experienced as a great misfortune, a monstrous parasite, a permanent state of emergency that ruins small pleasures.”.

This statement is not a rejection of love, nor a call not to experience it. Rather, it is a complaint. Love on the one hand gives fulfillment. But on the other hand it also breaks, it breaks the individual internally.. This is not negative, but simply natural to being human.

Always fail better

Žižek calls for not being afraid of failing in attempts. Perhaps the worst failure is not trying, as captured in this phrase: “After failing it is possible to move on and fail better; On the other hand, indifference sinks us deeper and deeper into the quagmire of being stupid.”.

The attempt, even if it is unsuccessful, always allows for improvement. You learn, you grow. On the other hand, if you fall into a passive and indifferent position, the opposite happens. Decadence, descent, total stagnation appears. Passivity is equivalent to the death of consciousness.

Global systems of thought

History has been dominated by great systems of thought, which have seen themselves as universal. Now we are in a different time, as captured here: “Nor in the field of politics should we aspire to systems that explain everything and projects of global emancipation; the violent imposition of grand solutions must give way to specific forms of intervention and resistance”.

Systems of thought with claims to universality have overlooked many particularities. In fact, they have been imposed on many occasions in a violent way. Now is the time to look for what differentiates us, not what makes us uniform..

Competition and comparison

This wonderful text by Žižek denounces a reality of palpable relevance: “We are trapped in an unhealthy competition, an absurd web of comparisons with others. We don’t pay enough attention to what makes us feel good because we are obsessed with measuring whether we have more or less pleasure than everyone else.”.

We are in a time when more than ever we have submitted to social approval or sanction. Many define their actions and assessments based on comparison with others.

In that case, the point is not to find what gratifies them personally, but to measure whether that gratification is higher or lower than that of others. What produces happiness is surpassing othersmore than experiencing a feeling of own and personal fulfillment.

The role of philosophy

Currently, philosophy is not a knowledge aimed at revealing great truths. In Žižek’s eyes, his role is more to question and open up “absolute truths.” This is captured in this phrase: “Philosophy does not find solutions, but rather raises questions. Your main task is to correct the questions”.

In an era in which uncertainty predominates, philosophy contributes more by asking than by answering. Deep and accurate questions bring us closer to more precise answers. In this sense, perhaps we have not found the right questions. This is precisely the objective at which philosophy should aim.

No to the prophets, yes to the leaders

Agents of “revealed truths” do far more harm than good. They lead to holding absolutist or totalitarian ideas that only lead to new forms of slavery. That is why Žižek points out: “We do not need prophets, but leaders who encourage us to use freedom”.

The role of the contemporary leader is help others to freely define their path, not to blindly follow the approaches of a man, or a group. An authentic leader encourages the autonomy of those he guides. He promotes that everyone be their own leader.

Žižek is one of the great thinkers of our times. Their reflections contribute to understanding a world that has become too complex and that at times seems erratic. Without a doubt, it constitutes a source of obligatory consultation for anyone seeking to calibrate their compass for the times in which we live.