The Origins of Totalitarianism
Based upon his experience as an urbanist, Virilio stresses that fear has not only a psychological aspect, but also a physical one which is closely related to speed. To underline the point, he cites Hannah Arendt "when she states in "The Origins of Totalitarianism" that 'Terror is the realization of the law of movement.'"; a simple example is the image of a gazelle running to escape a lion. For contemporary humanity, fear is also related to speed, which can be seen in scenarios such as a nuclear apocalypse or a stock market crash. Hypotheticals like these are governed by computers, which act at speeds that are not tractable for humans. Virilio also contends that perpetual, instantaneous communication via computers and the internet are disruptive to biological rhythms and historical seasonal patterns of life in human culture, producing both fear and misery. As an example, he cites an increase of suicides which occurred among France Télécom employees from 2009 to 2010. Virilio attributed the suicides to the organization's restructuring which required frequent relocation of employees and expectations of constant communication.