Quit Everything: Interpreting Depression | Franco 'Bifo' Berardi
207 pages | Repeater Books | 8.13.24
Analyses the current wave of depression, or "desertion", that is causing more and more people to abandon hope and desire in a world where social, political and environment collapse seems inevitable.
An analysis of the current wave of "desertion"—a widespread withdrawal from hope, desire, and political participation—amid social, political, and environmental collapse.
In Quit Everything, renowned theorist Franco "Bifo" Berardi explores the rising phenomenon of what is commonly labelled as depression, particularly among younger generations. Berardi contends that this is not simply a mental health crisis but a profound shift in collective consciousness.
Rather than seeing this as mere depression, Quit Everything reframes it as desertion—a conscious or unconscious withdrawal of psychological energy and desire, a disinvestment in the future in response to the failures of political systems, environmental degradation, and global crises. From the "great resignation" in the U.S. to the deceleration of social rhythms during the pandemic, Berardi's book provides an urgent and insightful analysis of why people are "quitting everything" in an age of political impotence, far-right nationalism, and climate collapse.
Key Features:
- Explores the rising phenomenon of desertion and its distinction from clinical depression
- Offers insights into how the pandemic, environmental collapse, and political failures are accelerating this trend
- Analyses global phenomena such as the "great resignation" and the disengagement from political participation
- Provides a radical reframing of mental health crises as a form of political and existential retreat
