Power of the Sheeple
What drives us to be a part of a group? Does society engineer our perception of the world to convince us that being a part of a team is our way of life?
Introduction
We are born into this life with needs society must satiate for our survival. Society obligates itself to do this to a degree, for if not, then there would be no populace for the social contract. It can't grow without our participation.
Addressing our needs allows us to survive. Society shapes our environment, and, in exchange, we at first participate involuntarily. When ready to head out on our own, we must follow rules of engagement similar to our youths. Being a part of society means being committed to a degree. Society even schedules our time off.
No one sees the reality of this better than those whose connections to their lives are fractured.
To Sever
My clothes and money were gone. I can't find my family. It was my first time being away from home on my own. I was alone on a cot with a thin blanket. God, I was so cold and hungry. They filled that facility with boys like me. I wonder what they were thinking.
I wonder if they are as alone as I was. Luck shined its fortune upon me this night. I was exhausted. Another trip through time occurred as I succumb to the exhaustion.
It was a relief from my solitude.
The banging noise shrieked through my brain—the sounds of pounding and screaming waking me up instantly from my coma-like sleep. My heart was racing, and the adrenaline coursing through my brain gave me instant alertness and fatigue. They told me where to stand, when to dress, and how to make my bed. Perfection to the standard was the only rule. Prompt response to all commands was the only recourse. Those who didn't follow were escorted and never seen again.
It was day 1 of Bootcamp. Only 59 days remaining.
Emotional Intelligence
My son has no money. The clothes he's wearing were the ones he slept in last night. He can barely speak coherent sentences, but I figure that's okay for a 3-year-old. I tell him what to wear, eat, and what activities he can play. We always give him options, but he usually goes with the flow if he's got exciting activities for the day.
Someday he will also leave his home. Will he be seeking another group to help him think, or will he think on his own? Is there a difference between meeting with a like minded-group and a group that controls the mind? I'm not so sure. I sometimes wonder about the similarities between what my wife and I teach him and what I went through in Bootcamp. Regardless of the differences, though, our experiences and interactions in life are tied to our psyche and emotions.
Emotions are tied to the subconscious. We seek that which calms our need for something. Society, for instance, taught me that when I reach fatherhood, I was to provide for and care for my family. After planning for and now having had children, it's something I want to do. It makes me feel good, but I wonder if that choice was indeed my own. After all, society needs participants.
It isn't easy to see these ties unless you are aware and looking for them. In the military, they sever you from your reality through isolation, intimidation, loyalty, and fear. Once severed and isolated from your former life, they clothe you and teach you about their laws and history. You eat and relieve yourself at their behest. You sit where you're told and speak when someone addresses you by name.
If you perform according to their guidelines, you are rewarded for exemplary behavior.
Group Mentality
Everyone that survived through the last seven weeks followed the rules, did what the Navy said, and were high-performance recruits. We were also complete and utter smartasses. Our antics put us through more physical labor than we thought possible, but it never broke us. We never stopped to say that we love Uncle Sam. We always said, "thanks for the crappy paycheck." The weaker ones were encouraged by, the more robust, and eventually, we reached similar capabilities. We became a team, focused on succeeding through this tumultuous period.
People join together in common causes when their needs and emotions synch. The topics are irrelevant. The stronger the feeling, the more potent the synch. The more derisive the issue, the greater the crowd. Industries have poisoned land and waters indiscriminately, but the only time things change is when enough consumer base rises to challenge the practices. Death, perhaps, is only a strong enough motivator if it's knocking at your door and you have enough people willing to do something about it.
Accepted Reality
And then there are those operating within the system. Society meets their needs. They follow the protocol by working, paying their taxes, and being a good citizen. The activities of the world do not always impact them unless it's in their face. Society has laws providing for those that choose which direction to wander.
In Closing
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
So long as our society provides for the needs of its people, people will travel through their lives content with the world around them. Should external occur that distract the populace or withhold their needs, their emotions will rise to the point of protest.
Thank you for reading and following on throughout my Hive journey. If you like this post, please upvote and follow scholaris.