Hermes and Hestia: The appeals of an accelerated burnout society

• Herbênia Carmen de Lima Oliveira ^[1] ; Beatriz Pinheiro Bezerra ^[2] ; Camilla Lima Ferreira Rodrigues ^[2] ; José Clerton Martins ^[3]
  1. [1] Master’s student in Psychology, Graduate Program in Psychology. University of Fortaleza - Brazil
  2. [2] Master’s student in Psychology, Postgraduate Program in Psychology, University of Fortaleza - Brazil
  3. [3] Professor, Graduate Program in Psychology - University of Fortaleza - Brazil

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• Localización: Ocio y cultura lenta en la era digital / coord. por Maria Manuel Baptista, Alexandre Rodolfo Alves de Almeida, Rui Alexandre Grácio, Telmo Alexandre Ferreira, Associação Ibero-Americana de Estudos de Ócio Programa doutoral em Estudos Culturais, 2025, ISBN 978-989-35932-1-9, págs. 321-334
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • In the context of the burnout society described by Byung-Chul-Han, we are faced with an excessof information and an incessant search for positivity. We live under the expectation of a realitywhere happiness is not only desired, but a standard to be followed. This social pressure promotesstandardized behavior and demands a permanent state of optimism. In this scenario, we draw a parallel between the characteristics of the burnout society and the Ancient Greece myths, highlighting two narratives: Hermes, god of borders, travel and communication, and Hestia, goddess ofdomestic life, the family and the hearth. In this way, people become increasingly affected by a productivity and positivity “virus”, often without realizing the illness resulting from this accelerationthat is alienating. Against this backdrop, this study sought to understand how the myths of Hermesand Hestia fit into the dynamics of a burnout society, suggesting a towards balance path throughaccess to leisure. The methodology used was qualitative and bibliographical, based on analyticalpsychology, with a literature review and analysis of primary and secondary sources. As a result,the timeless quality of the myths and the reflection of an intimate symbolic path to contemporaryissues were identified. Hermes emerges as a representation of today’s society, reflecting the demand for a fast and multiple consciousness, capable of dealing with several demands simultaneously, but in a superficial way. As a result of this hypermodern movement, there is a difficulty inaccessing Hestia, which is related to idleness, permanence and the essence of the internal, the profound, the home and the fireplace. Thus, in the burnout society, we find it difficult to distinguishbetween what is fixed (Hestia) and what is transitory (Hermes), in other words, what we shouldcare for and preserve in ourselves and what should flow freely. Therefore, we infer that the mythsof Hermes and Hestia can represent the burnout society and point the way towards balancethrough the slow time of the experience of leisure.