The Metamodern Model
“All models are wrong, but some are useful.” —George E.P. Box
When it comes to understanding today’s world, I have not encountered a more useful model than metamodernism. It’s perhaps one of the most important ideas out there, defined as:
“The mercurial condition between and beyond irony and sincerity, naivety and knowingness, relativism and truth, optimism and doubt, in pursuit of a plurality of disparate and elusive horizons" – Metamodernist Manifesto
If that description sounds elusive, that’s because… it is! The word “metamodernism” is elusive, and the concept remains elusive to itself.
Technically speaking, metamodernism is a cultural philosophy—not a model. It represents the structure of feeling—the general vibe of our times.
But metamodernism is more than that: it’s a new paradigm. It’s a movement to restore dialogue and discourse, replacing postmodernism. It’s a romantic reaction to the unfolding meta-crisis we are living through, offering a glimmer of hope for civilization—just in the nick of time.
Metamoderism encompasses the paradoxes, alternate realities, and pendulum swings of emotion that accompany being alive in 2020. It articulates why my generation (let’s say millennials and older Gen Z’ers) can be brutally cynical, yet deeply profound. Faced with existential threats like climate change, political instability, income inequality, and A.I. robots taking over the world, it’s impossible to not harbor some cynicism about our future.
Yet, at the same time, my generation yearns for existential purpose. We scream for meaning. And we demand change—as evident by the global revolution for racial equality, the #MeToo movement, and the rise of secular spirituality over organized religion’s ruins. Metamodernism is the reflection of this dichotomy.
Metamodernism was born from the internet—from memes that make no sense but are utterly delightful, to social media posts displaying supreme self-awareness to the point of self-indulgence, metamodernism is the embodiment of today’s energy. If “social media” were a living philosopher, it would be a mixed-raced metamodernist—puffing on a Juul, drinking a matcha latte, and organizing a climate change protest from a café in Marrakech.
KC’s Green’s infamous “metamodern” cartoon On Fire, 2013
Metamodernism is not necessarily new. Take a moment to note the importance of the desperately yearning pseudo-nihilism of the 1990’s: The Smashing Pumpkins and Radiohead. Beavis and Butthead’s absolute stupidity, but undeniable brilliance. Nirvana’s cynical desperation—which more than anything, expressed a deep desire to believe in something—just not knowing what.
Metamodernisn has also been all over contemporary pop culture and art: think of the whimsical silliness and profundity of a Wes Anderson movie. Childish Gambino’s (Donald Glover) politically charged rap videos. Jim Carey’s “new sincerity” interviews. Rick and Morty’s existential adventures through the multiverse. Little Miss Sunshine’s modesty. Shia LaBeouf’s performance art—and yes, LaBeouf was, in fact, always operating several dimensions above the herd.
At the same time, the mainstream media has barely covered metamodernism. Almost no one I’ve asked—outside of a few of my more philosophical friends—has even heard of it. It has generated legitimacy in academic circles, but it’s still a niche intellectual movement.
Perhaps this is because we are living through it, and because by definition metamodernism is in a constant state of discovery of itself. Metamodernism reflects the polarities of the natural world, oscillating between high and low tide, winter and summer, North and South, and Yin and Yang.
The natural world is then reflected in the social world. Metamodernism explains the polar-swings of democracy and hyper-partisanship. Food stamps and billionaires. The simultaneous consumption of antidepressants and MDMA. And the cheeky, double entendre language of our times: drummy thicc, low-key glow-up, IDK,LY,TTYL.
There’s no turning back at this point. Our world will never be conveniently bucketed into one narrative or ideology again—the polar swings will only become more extreme. From here we exist in a state of grey, vibrating between black and white, darkness and light, good and evil.
Metamoderinsm is that vibrational state of grey. It’s the modern world reacting to itself and everything that came before it.
In order to understand how we got here, we must understand the history.
Modernism ➡️ Postmodernism ➡️ Metamodernism
Modernism:
Modernism arose in the late 19th and early 20th century as a progression from the certainty of the Age of Enlightenment. Modernism acknowledged the criticism Romanticism levied against the Age of Enlightenment, notably around the value of individualism and emotion.
Modernism was based on the newly formed industrial world. It was about the progress and promise of humankind. It embraced the beyond—now that we now know this, what else can we know? This belief in development propelled new forms of art, religion, and philosophy.
Picasso’s Le Demoiselles d’Avignon, 1907
Modernism assumed there was Truth: and that the Truth could be formulated by advances in science, technology, and experimentation. Modernism was both the cause of World Wars I & II—and a reaction to their societal horrors.
Postmodernism:
Postmodernism, on the other hand, was all about reclaiming individuality. Postmodernists claim there is no such thing as absolute Truth.
As humans, we crave meaning, but meaning is entirely subjective. Postmodernism acknowledged the flaws in the whole human “progress” aspiration: often times what looks like progress is actually just the oppression and marginalization of entire groups of people. Progress can be gaslighting.
On the psychological level, postmodernism illuminated quite a bit: we think we are rational creatures. But in reality, power structures, cognitive biases, and social constructs (that we are blind to) steer our existence.
In that vein, postmodernism painted a bleak, skeptical outlook for the future: it rejected modernism’s grand narrative for where society might head. Postmodernists are often cynical and bitter.
Barbara Kruger’s I shop therefore I am, 1987
Metamodernism (to the rescue):
Metamodernism adopts a postmodern attitude of skepticism, but embraces a modernist worldview: sorry, haters, it is possible to build a better civilization!
Metamodernists believe in development. Our world might appear fucked, but we will at least attempt to put out the fire in our own house, no matter how complicated the fire extinguisher manual may be.
We can improve ourselves as individuals and then take those inner developments to society. We can celebrate the sad, weird, and ugly. We can embrace our feelings—after all, we are only as free as we feel.
KC’s Green’s follow-up series This is not fine, 2016
Generation Z is notably metamodern. They are dubious about our future under Baby Boomer leadership, but they are not apathetic. Take the March for Our Lives movement on gun control, led by the Parkland High school survivors. Seventeen-year-old Greta Thunberg. And TikTok teens trolling Trump.
Part II: How a metamodern model can improve your life, and the world
As a former self-described postmodernist who spent four years in college studying and celebrating The Death of Meaning(!), I love metamodernism. FYI: any good metamodernist is also a postmodernist.
Metamodernism is like anti-acid medication for the chronic heartburn caused by COVID-19, racial injustice, mask-shaming, conspiracy theories, and identity crises.
With some help from metamodernist philosopher Hazi Freinacht, here are six ways in which applying a metamodern model might be useful for you, too.
1. Know your allergies
Read the following words and notice how you react:
Feminism
White males
Gay
Racism
Transgender
Capitalism
Conservative
Profit
Liberal
Money
Donald Trump
Power
J.K. Rowling
Kim Kardashian
It’s likely that some of these words triggered something gut-wrenching within you. That’s an allergy:
“An uncontrolled negative emotional response towards some idea or some person.” — Hazi Freinacht.
We all have these types of emotions. But just because something makes you feel bad, it does not mean it’s wrong. A metamodernist develops their mind with metacognition (awareness of thinking) to become aware of their allergies, noticing when the emotions takeover, and distilling wisdom from them.
2. Think ‘both-and’
A metamodern model is not black and white. It’s both black and white.
Thinking both-and is not necessarily about compromise. It’s embracing the paradox, and recognizing that in a world of grey, both polar extremes have validity. It opens the door of perspective in order to synthesize the best elements from each pole to formulate new opinions.
For instance, as Freinacht points out, if you only believe in the validity of physical laws and biological genetic conditioning, you are science-obsessed modernist. On the other hand, if you only believe in social constructs as shaping who we are, you are a postmodernist.
The reality is both: we are 100% biological animals and 100% culturally adapted beings. It’s not a 50/50 split!
¿Porque no los dos?
3. Dialogue and collaboration
Believing that every situation has two opposing philosophical arguments—at war with each other—is postmodern. Take the rise of neo-Marxism as a philosophy in the late 20th century: the belief that the ultra-wealthy will wage war with the poor—until the poor has submitted forever more.
Metamodernism suggests that reaching a middle ground is possible. The way to get there?
Dialogue and collaboration. Both-and thinking encourages dialogue over dialectics (philosophical argument). Dialectics in the post-modern era often drove further divisions between groups of people. Dialogue—honoring multiple perspectives—is the metamodern reaction to these philosophical arguments.
Dialogue is different than discussion, where it can feel like there’s a need for a “winner.” Through dialogue, opposing groups collaborate by working together to find common ground.
Dialogue and collaboration is what our world today yearns for.
4. Embrace and express your felt experience
Metamodernism embraces the power, truth, and realness of feelings. You can only know your allergies by confronting—and not retreating—from your feelings.
As metamodernist philosopher Greg Dember explains:
In fact, I propose that the essence of metamodernism is a (conscious or unconscious) motivation to protect the solidity of felt experience against the scientific reductionism of the modernist perspective and the ironic detachment of the postmodern sensibility.
Embracing felt experience explains the rise of what Dember calls “ironesty”: a mix of irony and honesty. Ironesty, which is similar to “New Sincerity,” is an authentically modern form of expression: our feelings are not linear—they oscillate. And we don’t always know how feel.
For instance, anyone who has watched Modern Family has laughed at ironesty. Or seen comedians like J.P. Sears, who simultaneously mocks and embraces New Age hippie spirituality.
5. Embrace altered states of consciousness
While metamodernism does not explicitly espouse drug use, it embraces alternate realities that exist beyond the normal, everyday operating mode of consciousness.
Metamodernism knows life can be mundane and difficult. Yet, life is also insanely beautiful. And things are intricately connected in ways beyond our comprehension.
Psychedelic imagery is all over metamodern art—and remember, savvy artists have been driving the metamodern movement for years. In 2014, Sturgill Simpson was nominated for a Grammy for his album Metamodern Sounds in Country Music, blending psychedelic rock with country music (his next album won the grammy).
Any cartoon program on Adult Swim feels like it’s designed to trip people out, balancing silliness and depth. And metamodern internet memes often look like they’re from another dimension.
Altered states of consciousness force one to reckon with life’s paradoxes: in an altered state, you might be brought to tears by watching the sunset on the horizon. A couple of brief brain synapses later, you might be horrified, thinking that you are slowly dying, melting from heat rays.
Metamodernism—like consciousness and memes—is fluid.
6. Believe in development
This is perhaps the most important way a metamodern model can benefit your life.
Metamodernists believe in development. It’s not a return to a blind-modernist belief that all development is good, or a postmodernist blasé shrug that development is an illusion.
It is recognizing that while we might have an allergy to “progress,” we will not lose our hope—our faith—that we can improve things for the better. First in ourselves, and then in society:
“Metamodernists are as aware of political, economic, climatological, and other forms of chaos as is anyone else, but they choose to remain optimistic and to engage their communities proactively even when and where they believe a cause has been lost” —Seth Abramson from “Ten Basic Principles of Metamodernism.”
David Thorpe’s Covenant of the Elect, 2002
Meta-conclusion
We are the not the first generation to live through a confusing and complicated world. We are also not the first generation to be dissatisfied with the direction the world is heading in.
What’s the metamodern difference?
We acknowledge that we have limited control of our destiny. We recognize that we are somewhat despondent. We understand that our existence is a flash, a micro-blink of cosmic time. We know our odds of improving the world are not that great.
But therein precisely lies our liberation—we might as well make our limited time on Earth worth it. Metamodernism provides the model to squeeze every drop out of our existence possible.
Yes, the stakes are high. But we will never stop marching, flossing, and savage TikTok dancing towards the light.