From survival to responsible suspension

Abstract Contemporary human existence is increasingly shaped by instability, acceleration, cognitive overload, and the erosion of metaphysical certainty. Within such conditions, the modern subject experiences not only psychological exhaustion but also existential fragmentation. Traditional ethical systems, grounded in fixed truths and stable identities, often fail to address the lived realities of individuals navigating uncertainty, hyperreality, and perpetual performance pressures. This paper proposes a conceptual framework for understanding human survival under contemporary conditions of existential instability. Through concepts such as “responsible suspension,” “limited peace,” “dynamic masking,” and “the principle of sufficiency,” the study develops an alternative philosophical model that prioritizes sustainability of the self over perfection, and conscious endurance over metaphysical certainty. Rather than offering a utopian vision of complete healing, the paper argues for a form of existential resilience grounded in limitation, ambiguity, and adaptive continuity. The article situates these concepts within broader discussions in phenomenology, existential philosophy, postmodern critique, and contemporary analyses of cognitive capitalism. Keywords Existential exhaustion, responsible suspension, limited peace, phenomenology of suffering, hyperreality, cognitive capitalism, existential ethics, subjectivity, survival philosophy, uncertainty Introduction