Personal Liberation, part 1

Those feeling societal oppression seek their own path. The motivation is partially adolescent rebellion, and a reaction to the utter nonsensical "moral" and aesthetic confines that manifest as mores. For example, clothing. There may be a physical need, dependant on the weather, but why a quasi-religious one? This could be at the crux of the Homosexual Question in the Western world. Many places have put an end to laws that explicitly or implicitly make the act of homosexual sex illegal, but many people either do not like homosexuals or merely feel "uncomfortable." This argument is taken seriously, with significant numbers of adherent on both sides, unlike the question of clothing, or, in the United States, recreational drug use.

Society does indeed oppress, though only passively. These social conventions act as a mental straight jacket, tricking the individual into believing they are truly restricted. This is a lie. Nonetheless, it is a fact that these "lies" are practiced, which is "truth." Conforming to these social confinements is a practical act for acquiring materials, such as food, clothing, and shelter, as well as community through belonging, companionship, and identity. This is comparable to language, the audio and visual symbols are lies, but have value in their application. Language is nothing but a series of symbols in a structured syntax. If one was to create a language it would only be meaningless nonsense, unshared communication mediums have no practical value.

These two deceptions, mores conformity and language, are powerful tools in both individual and mass human manipulation. One unique human condition aspect is our premium on extra physical attributes. That is, we have complex value systems that go beyond reptiles' sense of territory, or other mammals' sense of family. Examples would be our mores, in addition to ideology and religion.

© Michael Mosher