You've probably felt it. That weird, jittery tension in the air when politics comes up at dinner. For decades, we were told that the "End of History" had arrived—that every country on earth would eventually become a free-market democracy. It seemed inevitable. But honestly? Things took a sharp turn. Liberalism and its discontents aren't just academic terms anymore; they’re the reason your neighbor has a "Don't Tread on Me" flag and why your cousin is posting about the "failures of late-stage capitalism."
Liberalism is basically the software our modern world runs on. It’s the idea that you should have individual rights, the government should stay out of your bedroom, and the market should decide what a loaf of bread costs. It sounds great on paper. In practice, a lot of people feel like the software has a massive virus.
The Promise vs. The Reality
When people talk about liberalism, they usually mean "Classical Liberalism"—the stuff from guys like John Locke or Adam Smith. They wanted to protect people from kings and bullies. They prioritized the individual over the group. It worked, mostly. Global poverty plummeted. Lifespans doubled.
But here’s the rub.
Liberalism treats everyone as an autonomous unit. It assumes we all want to be "free" to choose our own lives. But humans are tribal. We like belonging to things: religions, nations, families, traditions. When liberalism started dissolving those old bonds in the name of "progress" and "globalism," it left a giant, soul-shaped hole in the middle of society. That’s where the discontents come in.
Patrick Deneen, a professor at Notre Dame, wrote this controversial but fascinating book called Why Liberalism Failed. His argument is basically that liberalism didn't fail because it didn't work—it failed because it succeeded. By making us all "free" and "independent," it actually made us lonely, atomized, and desperate for some kind of collective meaning.
The Economic Burnout
We can't talk about liberalism and its discontents without mentioning the money. Since the 1980s, we’ve lived under a specific flavor of this called "Neoliberalism." Think Reagan and Thatcher. The idea was simple: deregulate everything, cut taxes, and let the market solve all human problems.
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It didn't.
Sure, the stock market went up. But for the average person in the Rust Belt or the north of England, it meant their factory closed and moved to a country where labor was cheaper. Liberalism says, "That’s efficient!" The guy who lost his job says, "I can't feed my kids." That disconnect is where populism finds its fuel.
Why the Left and Right Both Hate It Now
It’s rare to find the far-left and the far-right agreeing on anything. But they both have a bone to pick with the liberal status quo.
- The Right-Wing Critique: They feel liberalism is a "neutral" system that actually isn't neutral at all. They argue it actively destroys traditional values, pushes "woke" ideology (in their words), and replaces local culture with a bland, corporate globalism. They want the "state" to protect their way of life, not just sit back and let the market dictate morality.
- The Left-Wing Critique: From the other side, critics argue that liberalism is just a mask for corporate power. They see "individual rights" as a way to protect the property of billionaires while ignoring the systemic rights of the poor or marginalized. To them, the "discontents" are a natural reaction to a system that prioritizes profit over people.
Basically, everyone feels like the system is rigged.
The "Identity" Problem
Francis Fukuyama—the guy who famously (and maybe prematurely) declared the "End of History"—wrote a follow-up book simply titled Identity. He noticed that modern politics isn't about "who gets what" anymore. It's about "who am I?"
Liberalism is bad at answering that. It tells you that you are a consumer and a citizen. But people want to be more than that. They want to be part of a "people." This craving for identity is why we see a rise in nationalism and identity politics. When the universal "liberal" identity feels thin and meaningless, people go looking for something thicker. Something with more history and blood and grit.
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Is it actually a crisis?
Some experts, like Yascha Mounk, argue that we’re seeing a "deconsolidation" of democracy. People aren't just mad at the current leaders; they’re losing faith in the whole idea of voting and free speech. They see these things as tools that the "elites" use to keep themselves in power.
You see this in the way social media has fractured our reality. Liberalism relies on a "marketplace of ideas." You say your piece, I say mine, and the truth wins. But in 2026, the marketplace is on fire. Algorithms don't care about truth; they care about engagement. Rage is the most engaging emotion. So, the "discontent" gets amplified until it feels like the whole world is screaming.
The Real-World Consequences
What does this look like on the ground? It looks like the yellow vest protests in France. It looks like the rise of Viktor Orbán in Hungary. It looks like the total breakdown of civil discourse in the US.
It’s not just a debate. It’s a shift in how we live.
People are opting out. They’re "quiet quitting" the liberal experiment. They’re joining communes, they’re buying gold, they’re moving to "red" or "blue" bubbles where they never have to hear an opposing thought. This is the ultimate discontent: the refusal to even participate in the shared liberal space anymore.
The Technology Factor
We have to mention Silicon Valley. The tech giants were the ultimate champions of the liberal dream—connecting everyone, borderless information, total freedom. But that tech actually created new forms of control.
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- Surveillance: We’re more "monitored" than any citizen in a 20th-century dictatorship.
- Monopoly: A few guys in California decide what billions of people can see and say.
- Isolation: We are more connected than ever but report higher levels of loneliness than any generation in history.
Can Liberalism Be Saved?
Is it over? Maybe not.
Critics like Adam Gopnik argue that liberalism is actually the most "human" system we have because it’s the only one that allows for change without a revolution. It’s designed to be messy. It’s designed to be criticized. The "discontent" is actually a feature, not a bug—if the system is healthy enough to listen and adapt.
To survive, liberalism probably needs to stop being so "market-obsessed." It needs to realize that people aren't just economic units. They need stable jobs, strong communities, and a sense of purpose that doesn't involve buying things.
Actionable Steps for the "Discontented"
If you feel like the modern world is a chaotic mess and the "liberal promise" has failed you, don't just doomscroll. Here is how to actually navigate this era:
- Audit Your Information Diet: The "marketplace of ideas" is broken. If your news feed only makes you angry, you aren't being "informed"—you're being harvested for data. Seek out long-form books (like those by Fukuyama or Mounk) rather than 30-second clips.
- Invest in Local "Thick" Communities: If liberalism feels "thin" and lonely, go where the people are. Join a local garden club, a religious organization, a neighborhood watch, or a sports league. These "mediating institutions" are the buffer between you and a cold, impersonal state.
- Support "Pro-Human" Economics: Look for businesses and policies that prioritize local stability over global "efficiency." This might mean paying a bit more for a local product or supporting zoning laws that keep your town's character intact.
- Practice "Liberal" Tolerance (The Hard Kind): The hardest part of a liberal society is living next to people you fundamentally disagree with without wanting to ruin their lives. Try to understand the discontent of your political opposites. Usually, their fear comes from the same place yours does: a feeling that they are losing their place in the world.
- Decouple Your Identity from Consumption: You are more than your job or the things you buy. The biggest critique of modern liberalism is that it turns us into "utility maximizers." Reclaim your time for hobbies, family, and rest that have zero "market value."
Liberalism is at a crossroads. It's either going to evolve into something that cares more about the human soul, or it’s going to be replaced by something much darker and more rigid. Understanding the discontents is the first step toward fixing the foundation.