Robert Greene

The Sublime Offers an Alternative to Endless Novelty and Stimulation

Author and historian Robert Greene argues that the persistent flatness many people feel is not simply a shortage of novelty but a narrowing of attention: the mind filters the world for what is useful and urgent, while feeds and other stimulation can make experience feel repetitive. In his account of the sublime, awe comes from encountering what exceeds familiar frames—whether through history, science, nature or close attention to an ordinary scene. Reconnecting with that sense of scale, Greene says, does not require abandoning modern life; it begins by looking beyond the self and the next source of stimulation.