My understanding is that most of Kacynski’s disillusionment was born out of:
- a recognition of how artificial most people’s values and goals are
- an inability to find authentic & fulfilling values and goals
- an innate urge to be useful and important
Put another way, Kacynski didn’t want to be like the brainwashed masses that chase status, approval, and riches. But, when he looked around for better things to spend his time on, he didn’t find any bc technology is so advanced.
I think the alternative to burning everything down is learning how to disconnect from the need to feel important and useful. It’s this inability to disconnect from the need to be useful and authentic that ultimately causes the disillusionment.
The ability to do so starts with an acceptance of the absurdity of life and a release of one’s ego. To put it colloquially, learning to not take things so seriously.