I'd suggest Byung Chul Han. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byung-Chul_Han https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byung-Chul_Han Checkout The Burnout Society, The Disapp

I'd suggest Byung Chul Han. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byung-Chul_Han https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byung-Chul_Han Checkout The Burnout Society, The Disappearance of Rituals, and The Palliative Society. It's difficult to know if the language stems from a "lost in translation" problem, but I enjoy the writing tremendously, especially for its mind-expanding quality. It's like a gateway drug. The writing is aphoristic - like reading an anti-David Foster Wallace - phenomenological minimalist vs. metafiction maximalist but with similar insights and mind-changing impact. It took me several hours to read a 12 page chapter because of the need for lookup, learning, references, and reflection. I'd also read Thomas Szasz, The Second Sin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Szasz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Szasz Similar to Han, but a generation earlier, his work was influenced by Foucault. Finally, I'd have a look at Kazimierz Dabrowski. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazimierz_D%C4%85browski https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kazimierz_D%C4%85browski To me, Dabrowski's positive disintegration plays a significant role in helping to frame the discussion here since "dropping out" can be easily mapped onto one of Dabrowski's levels in the positive disintegration framework. Regardless, the tension between the individual and society plays a significant role in the work of these three authors.