Domestication
Whether you like it or not, we have all been domesticated. We are living in a society of predetermined law. Social structures, hierarchies of power, schooling, and government oversight are all platforms to domesticate us. Language is even a form of domestication. Did you choose to speak English?
Our lives are in a bubble, a fence. We play by the rules, get a treat for being good, and continue playing within the rules. This allows society to maintain a strong hold while keeping the individual domicile. Instead of exploring outside the bubble, we are motivated by fears to remain sheepish. But that will not breed freedom or happiness.
Living Free in a Domesticated World
Apparently I’m on a spirituality kick as of late. My girlfriend got me reading “The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz. Below is a passage about the punishment/reward cycle of our society:
When we went against the rules we were punished; when we went along with the rules we got a reward. We were punished many times a day, and we were also rewarded many times a day. Soon we became afraid of being punished and also afraid of not receiving the reward. The reward is the attention that we get from our parents or from other people like siblings, teachers, and friends. We soon develop a need to hook other people’s attention in order to get the reward
An important part of being “free” is getting rid of the need for attention, forgetting about rewards, and remembering that failure is a step forward. Blogging has taught me to ship, whether it’s perfect or not. I have submitted applications to jobs that the old me would’ve waited days, or weeks, to get the “perfect” product. Perfection is something deemed by society. Living free is getting rid of the need for perfection. It’s rebelling against society and living the life you want, because you want to. That doesn’t mean wreaking havoc or becoming a bum on the street. It means we practice becoming a better person because we want to make ourselves better, not because we want to fit into society.
Breaking Domestication
We must be proactive in treating ourselves as the individual we truly are, not seeking immediate gratitude, and learning from failure. Failure is not a sign of fear, it’s not something to be punished for. Failure is a step forward. It’s a way to self-reflect and become a better version of ourselves. We will not be able to break free of the societal bubble if we live in fear. We have to be ready to fail. We have to keep exploring who we are and what makes us happy. Most of the time that won’t be in line with society. Because society is breeding sheep. And sheep follow the herd. We must be proactive in breaking the rules in order to better ourselves and lives of the people around us.