Naomi Klein’s 2023 book, Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World, delves into the unsettling phenomenon of mistaken identity, where she finds herself conflated with another public figure, Naomi Wolf. While both share a first name and arguably early associations in terms of writing on socially relevant topics, their paths diverged sharply in the 2010s. Klein, a renowned journalist and author known for works such as No Logo and This Changes Everything is a self-avowed leftist who has consistently championed critiques of corporate power, climate change activism, and the dangers of unchecked capitalism. In contrast, Wolf, once a champion of liberal feminism, pivoted to conspiracy theories and controversial stances, particularly during the COVID-19 era, which placed her in stark opposition to Klein’s values. Despite this, as Klein shows in her book, she consistently was mistaken for Wolf.

In Doppelganger, Klein uses this bizarre case of mistaken identity as a gateway to explore deeper societal dynamics. One of the most striking themes is the concept of “diagonal politics,” where individuals and groups traditionally aligned with the left have shifted toward alliances with the right. Klein describes this as a breakdown of ideological boundaries, facilitated by a digital landscape that amplifies fragmentation, misinformation, and polarization. This phenomenon, Klein argues, creates a mirror world where identities are warped, and former allies become ideological strangers.

The concept of the doppelganger, historically rooted in literature as a harbinger of identity crises or existential dread, takes on new meaning in a world where digital personas can be mirrored, distorted, or even weaponized. Klein’s “mirror world” becomes a metaphor for the ways individuals and societies wrestle with identity, belonging, and misrepresentation in the 21st century.

While the doppelganger is undoubtedly Klein’s central trope in attempting to explain the social malaise that has marked the 2010s and early 2020s, I want to look at how her argument parallels another concept, that of the early twentieth-century theorist Georg Simmel’s “The Stranger.” Like Klein’s work, Simmel’s concept examines the tension between inclusion and exclusion, nearness and remoteness, and the dual role of an individual who is part of a group and simultaneously apart from it. By applying Klein’s experience, we can better understand the complexities of identity and alienation in the digital age, where doppelgangers and strangers alike challenge the boundaries of the self and other.

Georg Simmel and the Stranger

Georg Simmel (1858–1918) was a German sociologist and philosopher known for his pioneering work on social forms and interactions. Writing during a period of rapid urbanization and industrialization, Simmel sought to understand how modernity transformed human relationships. Like many sociologists writing during this time, his work was influenced by the fragmentation of traditional communities and the rise of cities as spaces of anonymity and economic exchange.

Georg Simmel’s essay “The Stranger” (1908) is a foundational sociological work that examines the dual role of outsiders within social groups. The stranger is not merely a transient figure but someone who remains physically near while socially distant, simultaneously integrated into and set apart from the group. This duality allows the stranger to occupy a unique position of objectivity, contributing economically or socially while remaining distinct due to cultural, historical, or personal differences.

Simmel extends the concept of strangeness to relationships within groups, where even intimate connections can carry a sense of distance. The realization that shared experiences or feelings may not be entirely unique introduces an element of strangeness into close relationships, forcing individuals to confront the broader generalities underlying their bonds. This paradox—where familiarity coexists with alienation—offers a lens to understand the complexities of modern social life.

Crucially, Simmel’s analysis ties into the larger sociology of space. The stranger’s position is shaped not just by social dynamics but also by spatial relationships—physically proximate yet emotionally or culturally removed. In urban settings, strangers may live and work in close quarters yet remain disconnected from the cultural or emotional core of the group. Simmel’s insights highlight how space itself becomes a factor in creating, sustaining, or challenging social cohesion and boundaries, making the stranger a central figure in understanding the interplay of proximity and distance in society.

Doppelganger and the Stranger: Nearness and Remoteness

Both Klein’s doppelganger and Simmel’s stranger embody a profound tension in what Simmel referred to as nearness and remoteness. In Klein’s case, Naomi Wolf is uncomfortably “close” to her in the public imagination. They both share a name, a gender, and some aspects of their intellectual histories, but Wolf’s recent actions and beliefs as a conspiracy theorist and a darling of right-wing media, including Steve Bannon’s War Room, have made her a figure of alienation and opposition. This dynamic mirrors Simmel’s description of the stranger, who may be physically present and interacts with the group yet remains socially or culturally different.

The stranger’s presence creates a unique dynamic within the group: they are part of its economic or functional life but are perceived as fundamentally different due to their origins, values, or cultural practices. This distance is not purely physical but symbolic, highlighting the ways in which shared spaces do not always translate into shared identities or acceptance. Similarly, Klein’s “mirror world” demonstrates how digital technologies amplify this tension. Social media algorithms flatten distinctions and emphasize superficial similarities while erasing deeper nuances, creating a distorted perception of identity. This phenomenon produces doppelgangers—figures who seem familiar but embody alienation and strangeness, much like Simmel’s stranger.

By applying Simmel’s insights, we can see how Klein’s experience underscores the fragility of belonging and identity in the digital age. Both the stranger and the doppelganger reveal how proximity and distance interact to shape our perceptions of others, often exposing underlying divides even in seemingly shared spaces. The fluid boundaries that Simmel describes, where inclusion and exclusion coexist, resonate in Klein’s story, making her doppelganger an unsettling reflection of modern social dynamics.

Diagonal Politics: The Stranger in Ideological Shifts

Klein’s concept of diagonal politics is particularly striking in its connection to Simmel’s exploration of the stranger’s role in disrupting established group norms. Diagonal politics describes a phenomenon where individuals and movements traditionally associated with left-wing ideologies align themselves with figures or causes from the right. This ideological realignment, often facilitated by digital technologies, blurs the boundaries between political identities, creating strange and unexpected alliances. It is a world where traditional binaries—left versus right, progressive versus conservative—no longer apply, and where former allies become ideological strangers.

Simmel’s insight that “the stranger is an element of the group itself” resonates here. Just as the stranger occupies a space within the group but remains distinct from its core, diagonal politics highlights how individuals can be simultaneously part of a larger ideological discourse and disruptive to its cohesion. For instance, Klein discusses Naomi Wolf’s pivot from progressive feminism to conspiracy theories promoted on right-wing platforms like Steve Bannon’s War Room. Wolf’s trajectory exemplifies how diagonal politics transforms familiar figures into estranged ones, forcing their former ideological allies to grapple with their proximity and divergence.

This dynamic creates a form of ideological estrangement. Figures who once shared common goals or values with a group become symbols of “otherness” within the same political sphere. Their presence challenges the group’s coherence, much like Simmel’s stranger, who brings new perspectives that can simultaneously enrich and unsettle the group’s identity.

Moreover, digital technologies amplify diagonal politics by enabling rapid shifts in allegiance and visibility. Social media algorithms prioritize sensationalism and conflict, fostering an environment where ideological boundaries are constantly redrawn. This mirrors Simmel’s idea of the stranger’s duality: diagonal political figures are both integral to the discourse and disruptive to its stability. They exist within the system but highlight its fragility, as their presence underscores the fluid and contested nature of belonging and identity in modern politics.

Klein’s analysis underscores the emotional and symbolic weight of these shifts. When former allies embrace opposing ideologies, the sense of betrayal or alienation can feel personal, reflecting Simmel’s observation that the stranger’s difference is often experienced more acutely because of their proximity. This interplay of nearness and remoteness is at the heart of diagonal politics, making it a compelling modern parallel to Simmel’s sociology of the stranger.

Objectivity, “Pips,” Doppelgangers, and Strangers:

Simmel’s notion of the stranger as possessing a unique objectivity applies to Klein’s experience of her doppelganger. For Simmel, objectivity in the context of the stranger refers to the ability to observe and interact with a group without being fully absorbed into it. This detachment allows the stranger to offer fresh perspectives and critiques, unburdened by the emotional ties and biases of full membership. At the same time, this very detachment makes the stranger a figure of ambiguity and potential mistrust, as they are seen as both part of the group and an outsider.

In Klein’s case, the digital doppelganger reflects certain truths about the individual but distorts them through the lens of public perception. This objectivity is paradoxical as it is both a reflection and a misrepresentation, amplifying certain aspects while erasing others.

Klein’s concept of caricature personas, or “pips,” underscores this paradox. Social media forces individuals into exaggerated and oversimplified roles, creating digital reflections that often feel disconnected from the full complexity of their identity. These pips are shaped by the dynamics of virality, algorithms, and public expectations, turning individuals into symbols or archetypes rather than nuanced beings. Similarly, Simmel argues that the stranger’s objectivity is both a strength and a liability: they are distant enough to observe the group critically but involved enough to be shaped by its perceptions. “Objectivity does not simply involve passivity and detachment; it is a particular structure composed of distance and nearness, indifference and involvement.”

In this context, Klein’s doppelganger illustrates how objectivity, as described by Simmel, is neither neutral nor entirely accurate. The caricature personas created by digital media embody the stranger’s dual role; detached observers who are also embedded within the system. These personas can offer fresh perspectives or critiques but often do so in ways that distort the individual’s essence, highlighting the fragility of identity in a mediated world.

Conclusion

Naomi Klein’s Doppelganger and Georg Simmel’s The Stranger intersect in their exploration of identity, inclusion, and alienation. Both thinkers highlight the profound tension between nearness and remoteness, as well as the complexities of belonging and estrangement. Simmel’s analysis of the stranger offers a lens to understand the dynamics Klein experiences in the digital age, where identities are fractured and reconstructed by algorithms, public perceptions, and polarized discourses.

Klein’s examination of diagonal politics illustrates how digital technologies blur traditional ideological boundaries, transforming allies into ideological strangers. Similarly, Simmel’s stranger disrupts established norms, challenging group cohesion while offering new perspectives. The doppelganger, much like the stranger, exposes the fragility of identity in spaces where proximity does not guarantee understanding or acceptance.

By integrating Simmel’s sociological insights with Klein’s contemporary analysis, we gain a richer understanding of how digital media and modern social dynamics shape inclusion and exclusion. In a world increasingly defined by virtual spaces, the interplay between nearness and distance, familiarity and alienation, remains central to navigating the challenges of identity and belonging.