Intimacy and Modernity - Essay Example

Intimacy and Modernity [Coarse Intimacy and Modernity It is a fact that modernity has made a verysignificant impact on the human race. It has not only changed their way of living and reshaped their mindset but has also strongly influenced their psyche. Although there is a series of positive impacts that modernity has brought to society, there is a notion that it is making people unhappier, as they have lost their sight regarding intimacy in the fast paced modernized world. According to Liah Greenfeld, a positive change in society in terms of modernity has made people more discontented and has caused medical illnesses in them.

It has also brought a considerable change in society by means of supporting fairness and equality, and accelerated the intense sense of competition among partners (Braun 2014, p. 432).What I have observed is that the level of individualisation has changed, and so has the mode of relationship among individuals due to the modern approaches. It has also given rise to a sense of mutuality and reciprocity among partners unlike in the past where everything was more focused on power or was male oriented.

Now, it has reformed with the essence of an equal feeling of mutuality and mutual recognition of each partner along with self-subjectivity and awareness (Sperry & Carlson, 2010).Arendt (1958) also justified the idea of intimacy in modern times as he quoted, ‘The modern discovery of intimacy seems a flight from the whole outer world into the inner subjectivity of the individual, which formerly had been sheltered and protected by the private realm’. However, the sense of individuality that it has built in society is now the reason of more conflicts that particularly lowers the self-esteem of the loser, and it encourages extreme narcissism for those who win (Braun 2014, p. 432).There are several consequences brought about by modernity in terms of detraditionalisation, such as homosexuality (Klein 2010).

I have observed through the readings that with the emergence of modernity that has given rise to the gender and individual liberation, the concept of intimacy has turned into confluent love, which is causing an increased divorce rate in society.As per the reading, it can be stated that it is due to the negative consequence of modernity that the rate of suicide has increased drastically. The confusing sense of individuality and nationality imposed by modernity is now becoming responsible for causing mental disorders such as schizophrenia and extreme cases of depression (Braun 2014, p. 433).However, modernity has encouraged mutuality and equal communicative exchange among partners, which is unlike the past conceptions which were only restricted to heterosexuality.

According to the above context, it can be said that modernity has reshaped the consequence of relationships as it has enhanced the equal sense of mutuality for individuals in a relationship.However, it would not be wrong to say that modernity has brought an array of destructive factors in terms of intimacy and relationship, due to which people have lost their insight regarding relationship. These are the extensive outcomes of modernity that the relations have become cold, which is also one of the major factors of mental illness and distress in modern society.

Now people prefer competition to relationship, due to which rivalry, envy and distrust have become deep-rooted in our society, and this needs to be addressed.List of ReferencesArendt, H 1958, The human condition, 2nd edn, University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Braun, J 2014, Liah Greenfeld, mind, modernity, madness; the impact of culture on human experience, Society, vol. 51, no. 4, p. 433.Giddens, A 1992, The transformation of intimacy, Stanford University Press, Stanford.Klein, RS 2010, Primary love: the elemental nature of human love, intimacy, and attachment, University Press of America, USA.

Sperry, L & Carlson, J 2010, Recovering intimacy in love relationships: a clinicians guide, Taylor & Francis, USA.