Obedience systems and mechanisms... and how it surpresses emancipation.

[Hrothbern]

One of my frustrations is to see people victimising themselves into obedience, whining or not, instead of standing their sovereign ground.
When the fight is there... starting lying on the ground, instead of standing up on both legs.

I know that there are too many unreasonable situations where I cannot reasonably expect people to stand their ground.
But I do believe that too many people just prefer that bubble instead of the combi of "accepting for now" & "do what you can do"

At the smallest granular size it is the classical dominating into obedience, whether casual or intentional.
At larger granular sizes more mechanisms get involved and are often less visible to recognise.

This thread an invite to come with mechanisms.... and discuss ofc.

I have already longer the intention to write a big OP for starting this thread.
I don't do that now... will come somewhere soon... but I saw today an article that revived that desire and my start is that article... a light touch on the topic

Meditating as obedience mechanism:

Am I right ?
So Saturday night I was just sitting cross-legged when I suddenly heard my toilet flush. That was strange because as far as I know I was home alone, and just as I was about to scream, my sister came out of the toilet. "What are you doing here," I shouted.

"I was in the area and I couldn't stop it," she giggled. There are times when I hate that she has my spare keys. She walked into the living room and almost fell over my meditation cushion.

“Are you still meditating? Don't you know that that is very dangerous? ”

“It has mostly calmed me down for twenty-five years,” I said.

"Do you know how many of my patients suppressed all kinds of problems for years by meditating all the time?"

“That doesn't mean I do that,” I began, adding that I wasn't a patient of hers, but she was already unstoppable. That neoliberalism (yes) thrives on all those countless employees who receive training in mindfulness at the expense of the company, supposedly for their own well-being, but in practice, of course, mainly to ensure that they are less likely to complain. So that they are drilled into treaties, instead of changing. I wanted to argue that none of this applied to me, but she was already seven steps further: that in 2020 meditation is simply a trick to silence large groups of employees. By giving them the idea that they themselves are responsible for their unrest, and not the tough economy in which they try to keep their heads above water.

While she rattled on, I closed myself off for a moment from her monologue. She said very sensible things, but with so much aggression that it became implausible again, so that I finally focused on my breathing (closing is also much better if you meditate regularly). Within seconds I was calm again, while my sister reminded more and more of a whistling kettle running wild.

“And as long as we don't get to the root of the problem, meditation is just a short-term solution, rather than a fundamental change to a system that makes us sick!” She concluded. She panted a little while I put a cup of chamomile tea in front of her.

"Better?" I asked after she took a sip.

“I'm right,” she said, chillingly, “I just wish when I said that I looked a little less ridiculous. Then maybe people would finally listen to me. ”

And that's the only reason she's not yet prime minister and we haven't been saved yet.
Really.

https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2020/08/17/gelijk-a4009020

 

[Hygro]

If you want to meditate and rebel, you can. And you’ll rebel better.

 

[Narz]

Definitely meditation can be used as suppression. That is not the point of it though. Ultimately meditation is a discipline, you're forcing yourself to focus & be non-reactive. The point is to then be MORE able to react appropriately to stimuli rather than automatically reacting.

There's definitely meditation-lite as is often portrayed in movies & shows showing some ditzy new-age lady hiding behind mantras & prayer beads but this is propaganda & has nothing to do with actual self-inquiry.

It makes sense that there would be a lot of learned-helplessness in the modern world. The modern person is as helpless and dependent as a small child in ancient times.

In only makes sense to "stay up and fight" when doing so can make a positive impact. If it can't it's better to distract oneself... say with a world-building computer game or faux-relationships discussing minutia with other spectrumy folk on the internet.

 

[Narz]

If you want to meditate and rebel, you can. And you’ll rebel better.

Don't know about this. Look at the monks in Tibet, they got wrecked by the Chinese.

This world may be a dream world but its still up to us to make sure its a damn good dream (and as lucid as possible).

All religions, including eastern ones are most often used as a method of control by those in power and escapism by those not in power.

Doesn't have to be this way but it usually is.

 

[Hygro]

Don't know about this. Look at the monks in Tibet, they got wrecked by the Chinese.

This world may be a dream world but its still up to us to make sure its a damn good dream (and as lucid as possible).

All religions, including eastern ones are most often used as a method of control by those in power and escapism by those not in power.

Doesn't have to be this way but it usually is.

Meditation isn't going to overcome huge numerical and material advantages, but it will make the individual more powerful.

 

[Narz]

Meditation isn't going to overcome huge numerical and material advantages, but it will make the individual more powerful.

I dont think you can make that blanket statement. Tibet being mired in religion and superstition certainly didnt make it more powerful. Even if it had been secular its unlikely it would've been able to stand up to China but its a good example of what happens when you prioritize the ethereal world over the physical one.

I think a balance of meditation and having your finger on the pulse of bablyon is the way to go.

 

[Birdjaguar]

During my many previous lives as a frog, I certainly enjoyed sitting peacefully in the cool, spring water of that aluminum pan....

 

[warpus]

This opening post in this thread is written in a strange "I will talk about vague subjects and abstract notions for a couple paragraphs without even mentioning what I'm even talking about" sort of format.

This is a strategy generally employed by drunks and charletans, so I am weary of it. But I accept your challenge. Let's do it in a weird and confusing way, why not.

Meditation helps me sleep, and helps calm me down. If I ever have any anxiety, I use meditation to chill out. It works for me. If it doesn't work for you and somehow limits your freedoms or whatever, then don't meditate. That seems simple enough!

I think basically you are doing meditation wrong if you can't fit meditation it into your ideological buble. That should not be a problem at all. Maybe try facing the other way, or do it lying down