Laurie Penny
Life-Hacks of the Poor and Aimless
On Negotiating the False Idols of Neoliberal Self-Care
The Baffler, 2016
What's inside?
The coercive aspects of modern “wellness” ideologies shouldn’t make “ self-care” anathema to the political left.
Please log in to download summaries. Not registered? Register your account here.
Recommendation
Faced with modern “wellness” ideologies which imply that all life’s problems can be solved with a better exercise routine or change in mind-set, it’s little wonder that many on the progressive left reject the notion of self-care altogether. But, as author and editor Laurie Penny persuasively argues in this article, rejecting self-care entirely, in favor of “despair” and unhealthy habits, won’t solve social problems either. Society needs a new view on self-care – one which recognizes its value, as well as its potential for coercion. getAbstract recommends Penny’s perspective to political progressives.
Summary
About the Author
Laurie Penny is a contributing editor at the New Statesman. She is the author of five books, most recently, Unspeakable Things.
Comment on this summary