Damaged Life

What are the psychological problems caused by modernization? How can we minimize its negative effects?

Modernization has brought many material benefits to us, yet we are constantly told how unhappy we are: crime, divorce, suicide, depression and anxiety are rampant. How can this contradiction be reconciled?


Damaged Life, originally published in 1996, presents a powerful and progressive analysis of modernity’s impact on the psyche. Tod Sloan develops an integrated theory of the self in society by combining perspectives on personality development and socio-historical processes to explore our complex response to modernization. He discusses the implications of postmodern theory for psychology and proposes concrete responses to address the issue of mass emotional suffering. His book should be read not only by those working within psychology and related disciplines such as sociology and social policy, but also by anyone seeking enlightenment about the predicament of the self in contemporary society.