Why do we limit ourselves and others?
When did the imposition begin of the boxing of “self” based on the conditions that someone else created? Maybe it’s always been this way, however, to me it seems now more than ever, the labels being stapled and assumed to individuals and groups are heavily weighted. My concern is if the allowance and participation in this persists that we will continue living in a world where our innate human virtues are severely sedated.
Upon observing the extreme efforts being forced upon individuals and groups externally to define who they are and what they stand for within societal norms, I feel that the pressure to conform is intensely increasing at a dangerously alarming rate. These political surveys, the census, and social justice campaigns, for example, have always rubbed me the wrong way. “It is your civil duty and doing your part for the community,” they say. They command we pick a side and check the category boxes conjured up by them; but what is their motivation and what is their intention? Is it so they know which group to place us in thus separating one from another with these made up classifications? What’s wrong with us all just being human who have different experiences and therefore different opinions? What good could they possibly do with knowing my given physical features, chosen ways to live, or what I believe in?
As I see this all around me my bullshit radar goes off leading me to further ask, what does the information gathered of the color of my skin or race, the political party I support, the religion I practice, or how much income I make… how does knowing this about me actually “help others” at the end the of day?
In fact, I don’t identify myself as any one thing that translates to box checking. Why would I want to confine myself by defining who I am based on the system’s devised categorizing. Where can I write in I feel I’m a good person, I like helping others, I’m not perfect of course, but I am constantly practicing the ability to see all perspectives through acceptance, understanding, and empathy. I explored the other side but I can’t help but feel that this data they gather is used for selfish agendas that aim to polarize by weaponizing groupthink and manipulating people psychologically.
I’ll tangent a bit, to note, that in many of the things I write or say, I use the term “they” and leave it relatively vague. When someone posed the question to me of, “who is they?” I thought about why I typically present it that way. I reflected and saw I have indeed avoided defining the specifics when referencing “they”. I feel this is due to my concern that suggesting specifics would create blocks from preconception and therefore complicate the intended overall message from being conveyed.
This also included a fear of isolating myself further as right now it is clear that my ideas are no where near aligned with media propaganda and popular opinion. As in most situations, I find, the “they” is typically something or someone cleverly marketing in a such way that leads the masses to think that these are the ones working hard to save the day. Meanwhile, I am posing an alternative perspective that this suspected hero or saving grace could actually be a part of a system embedded with deceptive ways to limit our knowledge, repress our consciousness, with an ultimate goal to maintain control to keep us enslaved.
With that being said, I want to express that any content I put out is with the intent to share my personal evolution currently stationed at taking self responsibility for healing my heart and claiming my own mind. This part began when my own mask made of ignorant bliss was no longer enough to keep my soul satisfied. I wobbled but eventually chose to buckle up, face the dark stuff, and figure out why all these things didn’t feel right. Beginning that process was lonely, regrettable, and incredibly painful at times. So the thoughts and questions I pose are those that helped me break free from the metaphorical cage loaded with chains of repressed emotions and collective burdens of this beautifully blessed chaotic mess of a thing we call life.
So whether you read from the sidelines for entertainment purposes mocking my own brand of crazy or if you’re taking the road less travelled with me in your own mind, the way I see it is… in the end we are all on the same side. Yes, to my own surprise this even includes the “they” and their attempts to instill fear, divide, and provoke us to fight. You see it’s through their relentless ways to separate that eventually we reach a limit of inflicted pain and suffering on humanity. Then in a justice served kind of way leads us to a collective uncovering of the antidote, a solution called empathy.
This empathy, for those who choose to embrace it, comes a powerful ability to feel the pain of the world that ignites a desire to dig deep and understand why. Once you come out on the other side, the things that were once emotionally draining. and confusing are replaced with a purpose that is motivating to help others and yourself by creating a life filled with authentic meaning. Soooo yeah, in the end I suppose you could say in a fucked up twisted way, that “they” just might be heroes after all just in a different way than we thought.
