The Consultant on the Art of Living

Today Portrait V –
The Consultant on the Art of Living


(Picture: J. R. Schmid)

(Picture: article.wn.com)

According to the German philosopher Wilhelm Schmid (http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelm_Schmid_%28Philosoph%29), the boom of guides on how to find happiness in life, at least as far the German speaking world is concerned, began around the year of 2005, while around 1995 yet no larger demand for such literature did exist. Schmid does see this rise in demand against the two major dates in recent history: the year of 1989 (when the ideological antagonism vanished); and promises of capitalism, subsequently, did not meet peoples’ real demands in life. After 9/11 collective fears added to this ideological void, not to speak of recent economic crises, while, one must add, according to Schmid saturated societies seem also to forget the more existential things in life (probably also due to one-sided and obsessive ideologies of joy-maximisation and of positive thinking). In sum: the consultant on the art of living, at least in Western societies, has become another style-forming figure of our time. Some of them invite us to (or threaten us with) the instrumentalization of art as therapy and have even invaded, on invitation one must say, the public space of art museums. Others, like for example Schmid (who also did edit, years ago, a book on Edgar Degas), seem to be less visible, which cannot be due to the social type’s rather overwhelming media presence (but not every consultant on the art of life is by definition inclined also to public self-fashioning). All this leads to the one question: Why not thinking of another collective portrait of another style-forming figure of our time? Because: If the consultant on the art of living has become such a relevant figure – would’t it be advisable to take a closer look at him (or her), if only to be able to actually choose one’s therapist?

(Picture: buecher.de)

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