In a world full of distractions, noise, and easily accessible dopamine, you start to feel numb. I had heard a lot about this book, often described as a counterpart to 1984, and now, after reading it, I can understand why it is so relevant today. Many of these things are already known to us, for example that excessive consumption of social media (easy dopamine) can be harmful, yet it is still quite difficult for most people to give it up. This story described the world we live in surprisingly well for its time, even if it is, of course, somewhat different. At the same time, it touches on several other themes that are worth exploring more deeply. In this piece, I will go through some of these ideas and concepts and share my own thoughts, without trying to overanalyze everything.

This feeling of numbness that I mentioned at the beginning can also be found in the world of Brave New World. People are constantly surrounded by distractions, whether through entertainment, consumption, or substances like soma. There are no diseases, no real suffering, people barely age, and everyone seems to be satisfied. However, this sense of satisfaction mainly exists because there are hardly any moments of silence or solitude in which one can truly reflect.

But what are the costs of such a “perfect” world? This is the question I want to explore throughout this piece.

One character who at first seems like a critic of this system is Bernard. He feels uncomfortable in this world and is not really accepted by society, as he is different and often mocked. He seems to long for something real, which in this world already counts as a form of rebellion.

This longing eventually leads him to the “savage” and “uncivilized” world, where he meets John, later known as “John the Savage.” The two develop a kind of friendship, and Bernard eventually brings him back to the new world. Because of this, Bernard suddenly receives a lot of attention, especially since people are fascinated by the “savage.”

You can see how Bernard gradually readjusts to the system and stops rebelling. This shows that he was not an ideological opponent of the system, but rather a socially motivated rebel, whose behavior was strongly shaped by his own sense of isolation. Perhaps this reflects a pattern that is not limited to this fictional world, but can also be observed in today’s society.

While Bernard only appears to rebel against the system, John the Savage represents a much stronger contrast to this world. Because of his background, his father comes from the new world, he never truly belongs to either side and lives somewhere in between.

In contrast to the people of the new world, John has a completely different understanding of emotions, relationships, and especially love. For him, love is not something superficial or instantly available, but something that requires time, commitment, and even suffering. These ideas, however, are completely misunderstood in the new world.

This makes it clear how foreign real emotions have become in this society. While people try to avoid any form of discomfort, John actively seeks something real, even if it comes with pain. This fundamental difference becomes especially clear in his conversation with the Controller, which for me was the highlight of the book.

In this conversation, several key ideas are explored, one of them being that stability and freedom are, in some ways, opposites. True art requires suffering and conflict, real science brings uncertainty, and religion emerges from the search for meaning. Society sacrifices all of this in order to maintain stability.

In this world, there are no intense emotions, no existential crises, and no real doubt. Everything that could cause unrest or uncertainty is eliminated from the beginning. This creates a stable and controlled society, but at the same time, it removes many of the things that actually make us human. Without conflict, there is no growth; without doubt, no understanding; and without suffering, no real depth.

I think most people obviously prefer stability and happiness and try to avoid as much pain and suffering as possible. Yet if we are completely free of it, our lives might lose their sense of meaning, which could create an even greater sense of restlessness and emptiness within us.