Depressive Realism and the Fiction of Agency

Bry Willis explores depressive realism, a psychological concept suggesting that depressed individuals might perceive reality more accurately than their non-depressed counterparts, particularly regarding a lack of control. It examines Colin Feltham's book, Keeping Ourselves in the Dark, which challenges optimistic views of progress and agency, proposing these are self-deceptions that mask life's inherent suffering and incoherence. The text then compares Feltham's pessimistic stance with other philosophical perspectives on agency and free will, including those of Octavia Butler, Jean-Paul Sartre, and Howard Zinn. Ultimately, it presents a "dis-integrationist" view, which argues that the collapse of myths surrounding agency isn't a disaster but rather an opportunity to accept life's natural flux without resorting to either hope or despair. The source critically analyses how various thinkers, including Feltham, might inadvertently reintroduce new forms of judgement when questioning the nature of human agency.https://philosophics.blog/2025/09/08/keeping-ourselves-in-the-dark-depressive-realism-and-the-fiction-of-agency/