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How did Georg Simmel describe the effects of metropolitan life on privacy and loneliness?
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urban culture
Cafes and shops along Montague Street in the Brooklyn Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York.
The German sociologist Georg Simmel observed that metropolitan life is characterized by a high volume of social contacts, which forces individuals to develop psychological defenses to maintain their privacy.1
According to Simmel, the constant nervous overstimulation of the city compels people to adopt an attitude of reserve and isolation as a protective barrier against the overwhelming density of the crowd. This creates a superficial paradox where, despite being surrounded by a vast number of people, the individual often feels uniquely lonely and lost. Consequently, this urban environment can detach people from traditional communal ties, leaving them feeling morally stranded and prone to a blasé attitude toward life.1