The Forgotten Philosophy from 150 Years Ago That Changed My Life
The Antidote to the Overly Casual Society of the 2020s
We live in an overly casual society…
A place where attention has fewer capabilities than ever.
A place where every single moment needs to be ‘exposed’ to the public.
A place where comfort and casualness are held as cardinal principles for life.
2025 couldn’t be more ‘bizarre’ to live in.
In a recent week, I have deeply observed a pattern that has occurred in the masses—a behavior that reflects the inner mind that people in society operate on.
In the morning, they wake up not because of eagerness to live life, not because of the liberation of choice—but because of conditions from an ‘external entity they can’t deny.’
Throughout the day, they spend their attention on mindless stuff that shows up on their feed, using their fingers to scroll on the screen; while doing the things they think it’s a ‘duty’ to do.
When the sun goes down, this is when I see their eyes brighter than at any other time—their eagerness to actually ‘live’ life…
Through activities such as drinking alcohol as much as they can while exposing those activities through curated and fabricated images on their social media profiles—mainly TikTok and Instagram.
And when the clock hits midnight, it’s time for them to ‘get back to reality’ and confront their ‘harsh life’ once again.
That’s a day in the life of the modern population on a mass scale.
Now, one thing I’m sure of is that you are not one of those—or at least you don’t want to end up like that.
The thing is, humans are fragile to the environment, and without a set of ‘principles’ or raised consciousness—they can’t resist the ‘entropy’ that society is currently going through.
Which is what I’m going to give you in this one—The Philosophy of an archetype called ‘Flâneur.’
The Archetype of Flâneur (Brief History & Context)
I once heard this term for the first time when I visited Paris last January, and there was something special about it at first sight.
Paris, the city of light, where walking along the Seine or Saint-Germain or any arrondissement, can give you a magical moment of its own.
When you combine that nature into the term ‘Flâneur’—it has never made more sense.
“The flâneur is the essential figure of the modern urban spectator, an amateur detective and investigator of the city.” — Walter Benjamin
That said, the term Flâneur occurred during the 19th century, a period when modernization had begun to integrate into many capitals across Europe.
Paris was the main one.
The meaning of being a flâneur is to be a gentleman who ‘detaches’ himself from the dynamics and involvement of society and rather becomes the observer.
To see the beauty, the absurdity, the chaos—that occurs in the moment, through strolling across the boulevard, walking along the city.
Now, I want you to take a step back and look at what we’re currently facing right now.
If the core problem of modern society is that it’s ‘too fast,’ ‘too fabricated,’ ‘too shallow’…
Then the antidote to these is to ‘make it slower,’ ‘embrace authenticity,’ and ‘cultivate substance.’
All traits that are contained in the archetype of the Flâneur.
The Life of the Flâneur (& How It’s an Antidote to the Overly Casual Society)
“The flâneur is by definition endowed with enormous leisure, someone who can take time to observe the city rather than hurrying through it.” — Edmund White, The Flâneur: A Stroll through the Paradoxes of Paris
If you wonder how this archetype from two centuries ago integrates with modern life—here are my discoveries that act as a way of life for the modern Flâneur and as an antidote to this overly casual society.
First, holding onto ‘Intention’ in every single moment.
This means raising the consciousness of your actions throughout the day.
When you’re dressing up, put thought behind the clothes you’re going to wear and how they will affect your identity.
When you’re about to work, have clarity on its importance and do it with ‘singular focus.’
When you have a conversation, have full awareness of your partner and know exactly what you want to convey.
When you live your life, remind yourself of the ‘purpose’ of it and settle for nothing less.
Intention always goes with awareness—when you put one into your life, you will see yourself and the world around you like never before.
At least, the one that is ‘detached’ from the influence of the external.
Second, having time to detach from everything.
“The destiny of every walking man is to immerse himself in the panorama surrounding him, to the point of becoming one with it and, ultimately, to vanish.” — Federico Castigliano, Flâneur: The Art of Wandering the Streets of Paris
The core activity of the Flâneur is to be an observer of society—walking in the city without a destination, without hurry (since the purpose of the walk is to walk and observe in the first place).
This will contradict the modern-day preaching about ‘optimization’ in everything you do:
The schedule.
The time block.
The ‘productivity’ in every single minute.
Being a modern Flâneur will ‘detach’ you from this doctrine and… from my experience, it actually makes me achieve more, gain clearer thoughts, and ‘enjoy the present’ much more than ever.
This is due to the fact that when you shut off the screen (from both laptop and phone), when you let go of AirPods—and just walk or sit at a café to observe people:
“It will allow your mind to see yourself and come up with the ideas hidden inside your unconscious mind.”
That can lead to life-changing ideas, moments of rich introspection—ones that give you a daily, sophisticated experience of gaining control over your life.
Last thing I would leave you with is: embrace solitude among the masses (but not entirely withdraw from them).
When you decide to cultivate a rich life full of substance, clarity, and intention—one thing you will inevitably face is the ‘dissonance’ between you and others.
One of the core characteristics of the Flâneur is that he is willing to stay in solitude—not because he is socially obnoxious—but to ‘rejuvenate’ his mind without distraction.
This philosophy of solitude has never been more important in today’s world, where you’re expected to connect with everything happening around you.
To liberate yourself from that hyper-connectedness is to be a Flâneur who knows when to enter and when to walk out.
For practice in this, imagine yourself retreating to a local old café or library that exists but nobody cares about, dressing up in elegant attire and bringing a pen and journal to clarify your thoughts while watching people walk by along the road.
That’s the weekly ritual I’ve tried to make into a ‘tradition.’
The result of the Flâneur’s solitude is the fact that you’re going to see the world from a different angle.
See the life you don’t want, see the decay and flourishing of things within the city,
And see yourself in a perspective you never wondered about before.
Gentlemen, that’s the idea of being a Flâneur in the 21st century—an antidote to the shallowness of modern society.
From this core idea, it has led me to ‘start this publication’ (at least that’s what I see it as)—Renaissance Flâneur; a journal and letter on the art of living as a gentleman in the 21st century through observation, conversation, and philosophical thinking.
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