The mass-man enjoys the fruits of civilization (technology, medicine, rights) without understanding the effort or the principles required to sustain them. He is the "spoiled child" of history, demanding everything while feeling no obligation to excellence. 2. "I am I and my Circumstance"
Ortega’s "mass-man" isn’t defined by social class, but by a psychological state. This individual feels "just like everybody else" and is perfectly content with it. JosГ© Ortega y Gasset and the Dilemma of Modern Man
Modernity offers an overwhelming number of possibilities but very little direction. Without a clear "mission" or sense of historical purpose, the modern individual suffers from a sense of drift, leading to the "hermeticism" of the soul—a closing off from the world. 4. The Loss of Historical Reason The mass-man enjoys the fruits of civilization (technology,