There is currently one South Korean philosopher who writes in Germanis a professor at the Berlin University of the Arts and stands out criticize today’s worldfundamentally about neoliberalism and the effects of digital technology: that’s what it’s about Byung Chul HanAuthor of the famous phrase “Staying at home is the clearest form of resistance“.
This philosopher, winner of the Princess of Asturias Prize for Communication and Humanities 2025, questions the modern rhythm This requires us to always be busy, connected and productive. in his books The tired society And contemplative lifeclaims that excessive stimuli and demands impair and undermine the ability to listen and hear oneself creates exhaustionFear and loss of meaning.
In this context The home is no longer just a place of rest, but becomes a space of personal sovereignty: the only area where it is still possible to take no responsibility, not achieve results and not be converted into content.
For Han, resistance does not mean confrontation or noise, but Abandoning the mandate of constant productivity. In this sense, staying at home is a kind of “strike” against the demand to be efficient even in your free time, to be active on social networks or to turn every moment into something useful.
The philosopher claims that contemporary capitalism rejects emptiness and silence. Unproductive time creates discomfort because it leaves no measurable or visible trace. But it is precisely in this anonymous time that people regain their autonomy and the ability to reflect.
Han himself was responsible for making this clear with his idea does not try to romanticize captivity or promote social isolation. His approach points to the right to peace without guilt and the possibility of inhabiting the home as a refuge from outside noise without turning it into another shop window.
From this point of view, the house is not only the place where one sleeps or spends the weekend, but also a An environment that can promote mental and emotional balance. Currents such as the so-called “home therapy” take up this idea and propose to give value to everyday life: light, order, selected objects and leisurely routines.
The home functions as a space for regeneration when it stops being thwarted by the same logic of the outside. Not all time at home needs to be productive, optimized or shared. Silence, boredom or simply being there also have an important psychological function.
Other voices agree with this approach. The writer Kankyo Tannier points out that staying at home does not mean standing still and that introspection is also a form of action. Marie KondoFor his part, he speaks of “creative relief”: activities without a productive goal that help to reconnect with personal well-being.
Without turning it into a rigid slogan, the suggestion is Byung Chul Han It can be translated into concrete habits that can be easily applied at home and improve life. These are described in detail below:
These practices are not aimed at improvement Performance They also don’t optimize time, they slow down and restore internal listening.
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