L'età dello smarrimento: Senso e malinconia

by Christopher Bollas

Con uno stile acuto e incisivo, Bollas esplora alcune tendenze sorte in Occidente negli ultimi due secoli, rilevando un cruciale “cambiamento del clima intellettuale”: l’importanza attribuita alla connettività istantanea ha soppiantato riflessività e introspezione, il modo in cui definiamo il nostro Sé si è significativamente trasformato. Questo orientamento avrebbe raggiunto l’apice nell’attuale dilagare della psicofobia: un rifiuto delle psicologie del profondo che ha spianato la strada all’affermarsi di scelte fondate sull’odio. Da qui la vittoria di Donald Trump in America e la Brexit nel Regno Unito. Per ritrovare un più equilibrato concetto di sé all’interno della società, è indispensabile fare dell’insight psicologico il fulcro di un nuovo tipo di analisi culturale e sociale.
Sorprendente e denso di spunti di riflessione, questo libro sarà apprezzato da chiunque desideri comprendere le sfide con cui la comunità globale dei nostri giorni è chiamata a confrontarsi.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Psychoanalysis

244 pages, Paperback

First published March 29, 2018

About the author

Christopher Bollas, Ph.D. is a Member of the International Psychoanalytical Association and has been practicing for over fifty years. Former Director of Education at the Austen Riggs Center he was Visiting Professor of Psychoanalysis at the Institute of Child Neuropsychiatry of the University of Rome. He is a prolific author and international lecturer.

Reviews

[Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this thought-provoking and timely work, Christopher Bollas outlines the ways in which we have adapted to the complexities and challenges of contemporary life by abandoning meaning-making and depth. Without a sense of depth, a psychological-mindedness, we are left at the mercy of various forms of splitting and projection. These threaten democracy and our chance at living full and connected lives.
How do we live in an age of unprocessed loss, fear and an emerging landscape of melancholia?
Without the capacity to look inside and face our sense of abandonment, betrayal and loss of meaning, we lose ourselves in the emptiness of things and facts and material, while the world around us becomes more treacherous, more corrupt, more driven by senseless rage.
Can we return to a respect for democracy, for introspection and contemplation?
Finishing this short work did leave me thinking (and craving a bit of escape too!). It awakened me to an awareness that healing must occur on both individual and collective levels, something borne out every day I work in a mental health care system that seems to be more and more focused on bewildered and lost clinicians attempting to change the thinking of bewildered and lost individuals. Splitting again as the system struggles valiantly to find ways to continue to justify and believe in itself while avoiding the self-reflection that might lead to more adaptive change.

[martha_bookaholic ©️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bellissimo, un'analisi psico- sociale profonda degli ultimi secoli

[Nikki DiVirgilio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highly recommend if you want a (psychoanalytic) framework to comprehend our current state of collective affairs.

[8Eight8 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd give it 4.5 stars. Very interesting food for thought 🤔🤔

[Giorgi Tskhakaia · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a great read to cap off 2025