In Georg Simmel’s book, “The Metropolis and Mental Life”, he investigates the psychological pressures that arise when living in modern cities. Simmel is concerned that humans are not psychologically prepared to handle the challenges that come with city life, consequently, city dwellers unconsciously develop different attitudes to “protect” themselves. As the foundation of his theory, Simmel uses a methodological relationist approach to analyze the broader social relations of society, rather than the interactions between its individual members. By contrasting modern, metropolis life to traditional, rural life, Simmel provides a clear disparity between the two, implying that the urban pressures have transformed the modern psyche’s mental landscape. He examines two main protective organs that relieve the mind from contemporary tensions. The blasé attitude emerges against overstimulation and leads to a mundane existence. Whereas the reserved attitude results in social fragmentation and defends against the stranger.
According to Simmel, modern individuals are constantly struggling to conserve their individuality while facing the tension of the objectified culture of society (Simmel, 1903, 11). The objectified culture is the weight of society’s economic, social, and political history, which seems to live a life of its own, independent from the individuals that are a part of it. This idea…
