Byung-Chul Han — Questions and answers

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What is Byung-Chul Han's work mostly about?

Choices

  1. How great digital connection is for everyone.
  2. The hidden costs of always trying to succeed. ✓
  3. Only the history of South Korea.
  4. How society is completely free from any rules.

Answer: The hidden costs of always trying to succeed.

From page 1

What kind of society did Byung-Chul Han say we moved from?

Choices

  1. An achievement society, where we always try our best.
  2. A disciplinary society, where there were lots of rules about 'must not'. ✓
  3. A happy society, with no problems at all.
  4. A freedom society, where everyone could do anything.

Answer: A disciplinary society, where there were lots of rules about 'must not'.

From page 2

According to Byung-Chul Han, what is 'burnout' a signature problem of?

Choices

  1. Having a happy and relaxed life.
  2. The achievement society. ✓
  3. Only individual tiredness from too much exercise.
  4. Getting too much sleep every day.

Answer: The achievement society.

From page 4

What is 'psychopolitics' according to Byung-Chul Han?

Choices

  1. A type of government that makes everyone happy and equal.
  2. A power that uses force to make people obey the rules.
  3. A power that subtly influences and controls people's minds using data and algorithms. ✓
  4. A game where you try to guess what others are thinking.

Answer: A power that subtly influences and controls people's minds using data and algorithms.

From page 5

What does 'absence of Otherness' mean in Han's philosophy?

Choices

  1. Being around many different kinds of people all the time.
  2. Not truly meeting or understanding things or people that are different from us. ✓
  3. Having too many choices when you are online.
  4. Only talking to people who are exactly like you.

Answer: Not truly meeting or understanding things or people that are different from us.

From page 7

What does Han's work challenge us to think about?

Choices

  1. If we should connect to the internet even more often.
  2. If always being connected and achieving things truly makes our lives better or worse. ✓
  3. If we should work much harder than we already do.
  4. If the digital age is always perfect and has no problems.

Answer: If always being connected and achieving things truly makes our lives better or worse.

From page 9

What do Han's insights help us understand and achieve?

Choices

  1. How to always achieve more goals and tasks.
  2. How to completely ignore our inner feelings and thoughts.
  3. How to see the demands of the 'achievement society' and find real freedom. ✓
  4. How to use technology all the time without any breaks.

Answer: How to see the demands of the 'achievement society' and find real freedom.

From page 10