LIVING ENOUGH IN AN AGE OF MORE: COGNITIVE ACCELERATION AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURES IN LISA GENOVA’S MORE OR LESS MADDY

Abstract

      This article examines Lisa Genova’s novel, More or Less Maddy, as an accelerative cognitive narrative, questioning the sustainability of modern life of speed, excess, and productivity based on performance. The analysis is contextualized in terms of the critical discourse of sustainability in the digital age, referring to the theory of social acceleration by Hartmut Rosa (2013), the concept of achievement society by Byungul Han(2015), and the ethical concepts related to the slow culture and care ethics theories. Although the story does not touch directly on the aspect of artificial intelligence, it throws light on the allegory of bipolar disorder, specifically manic acceleration that is defined by cognitive overload, hyper-productivity, and affective excess, which reflects the accelerated tempos of late-capitalist and digitally mediated cultures. The purpose of the study is to analyze the way neuro-narrative by Genova reveals the boundaries of human thought in the circumstances of unstopping acceleration and to evaluate its ethical consequences in regard to a sustainable future. Through textual analysis, it validates More or Less Maddy as a counter-acceleration narrative that challenges the mainstream cultural imaginaries of infinite optimization, as well as the ones related to new AI-based productivity discourses. Furthermore, the article suggests that the definition of sustainability should also extend beyond the scope of environment and technology to encompass mental wellbeing, emotional harmony, moral discipline, and psychological resilience. In essence, the author asserts that “Genova’s fiction offers a philosophy of ‘living enough’ rather than always aiming for more” and makes contributions to the field of medical humanities and sustainability scholarship.