Why does Heidegger say that the modern man loses his being to “the They” in his “average” way of living.
ChatGPT said:
Excellent question — and a central one in understanding Martin Heidegger’s Being and Time (1927).
Heidegger says that modern man loses his being to “the They” (German: das Man) because in our everyday, average mode of existence, we do not live as our own authentic selves, but rather as anonymous participants in a social order that dictates how one ought to think, speak, and act.
Here’s a breakdown:
1. The “They” (das Man)
“The They” isn’t a specific group — it’s the impersonal social normativity that governs daily life.
It’s expressed in phrases like:
- “One doesn’t do that.”
- “Everyone says this.”
- “That’s just how things are.”
Heidegger means that our understanding of the world — and of ourselves — becomes shaped by this collective, impersonal “They.” We conform to what “They” expect.
2. Average Everydayness
Heidegger calls this mode of existence “average everydayness” because it is how most of us live most of the time — in the comfort and familiarity of convention.
We:
- Do what others do,
- Think what others think,
- Desire what others desire.
In this way, our individuality and potential for authentic being get diluted. We are absorbed in the public realm of chatter, curiosity, and ambiguity — what he calls idle talk (Gerede), curiosity (Neugier), and ambiguity (Zweideutigkeit).
3. Loss of Authentic Being
By surrendering our decisions and meanings to “the They,” we evade the anxiety and responsibility of existing as ourselves.
Heidegger says that in doing so, Dasein (the being that we are) “is not itself.” It is “fallen” (Verfallen) into the world — into distraction, conformity, and superficiality.
We thus “lose” our Being — not because it disappears, but because we forget or cover over the question of what it means to be.
4. Authenticity vs. Inauthenticity
Heidegger’s critique is not moral but ontological.
- Inauthenticity (living under “the They”) is our normal state.
- Authenticity arises when we reclaim our Being by confronting our own finitude — especially through Being-toward-death, which individualizes us and frees us from the They’s anonymous hold.
In short:
Heidegger says the modern man loses his being to “the They” because he lets public conventions and collective expectations define his way of living, thinking, and valuing — thus forgetting the deeper question of his own existence and the responsibility of being authentically himself.
Know Thyself 