HillegondaDebat: De leegte voorbij

Beyond the void

In recent decades, the Netherlands has rapidly secularized. Within two generations, many said goodbye to churches, pillars and major political ideologies. This was experienced as liberation. You could become who you wanted to be. The downside is a void that is felt on a personal and social level. It is a symptom of a lack of meaning and a shared story.

Psychiatrist Esther van Fenema calls emptiness the cardinal sin of our time. Man hoped to become God himself, but cannot bear that responsibility well. On a personal level, many suffer from loneliness, uncertainty and gloom, despair and fear. The lack of meaning is suppressed by excessive consumption and 'enjoyment'. The result is only a greater feeling of emptiness.

At the level of society, it sometimes seems as if everyone only has their own truth within their own 'bubble'. Is there still a shared story that connects us and that offers meaning and coherence?

During the HillegondaDebat we will look for an answer to this exciting question. Dr. Esther van Fenema is our guest.