Darkover
Archangel
- Jul 29, 2021
- 5,040
Constant surveillance, economic control, restricted freedoms, and the illusion of choice. You're free to exist, but only within the boundaries set by those in power. Even escaping the system is nearly impossible without severe consequences. It's like a prison without bars, where the punishment for stepping out of line is suffering, poverty, or social exile.
We didn't ask to be born, yet we are thrown into existence without consent. If we choose to exit, society condemns us, and legal systems prevent assisted suicide for those who no longer wish to endure life's hardships. This makes existence feel like a prison where suffering is enforced.
Unlike pleasure, which is fleeting, suffering can be endless and overwhelming. One bad accident, disease, war, or economic collapse can turn a stable life into a living nightmare. The worst part is that suffering is often undeserved—people who do nothing wrong still endure immense pain due to bad luck or circumstances beyond their control.
The world today operates like an open-air prison in many ways, where control is enforced not through physical bars, but through economic dependence, surveillance, psychological conditioning, and systemic oppression.
Most people are trapped in a cycle of work, debt, and survival with no real escape. You're forced to work to afford basic necessities like food, water, and shelter. If you refuse to work, you're left homeless and starving. Wages are deliberately kept low while the cost of living rises, ensuring most people never truly achieve financial independence. Governments bail out corporations but leave ordinary people to struggle. Even in developed countries, people work their whole lives only to retire too old, sick, or exhausted to enjoy any freedom.
Surveillance has reached extreme levels, with governments and corporations monitoring everything you do. CCTV cameras watch your movements in public, while your phone, social media, and online activity are constantly tracked, creating digital records of your life. Facial recognition, AI, and biometrics have turned privacy into an illusion. Governments use anti-terror laws to justify spying on citizens. Protesters, activists, and whistleblowers are silenced, jailed, or even assassinated when they expose corruption.
Society conditions people to accept their imprisonment as normal. Schools teach obedience rather than critical thinking. The media controls narratives, keeping people distracted with entertainment and fake political debates. People are convinced that life is about working hard, buying things, and "staying positive," while those in power exploit them. Those who question the system are labeled as crazy, lazy, or conspiracy theorists.
Movement is also restricted. You cannot just go where you want, even though we live on the same planet. Passports, visas, and immigration laws make it impossible for most people to leave their country. Even within countries, lockdowns, travel restrictions, and curfews can be imposed at any time. Governments decide where you can go, and violating their rules can get you arrested or fined.
Refusing to comply with the system brings harsh consequences. If you don't pay taxes, you are fined or imprisoned. If you don't want to work, you become homeless and starve. If you refuse to obey the law, you face police violence, prison, or worse. If you resist or try to escape, the government labels you a criminal, extremist, or terrorist.
Unlike a physical prison, people believe they are free because they can go outside, watch TV, and buy things. In reality, every option available is controlled by those in power. The illusion of choice—brands, careers, political parties—keeps people distracted, but all paths serve the same system. Even moving to another country doesn't free you, as the whole world operates under the same basic rules.
We are born into a system where obedience is mandatory, survival is a constant struggle, and true freedom is impossible for most people. The only difference between this and a traditional prison is that we can walk around outside—but we're still trapped.
We didn't ask to be born, yet we are thrown into existence without consent. If we choose to exit, society condemns us, and legal systems prevent assisted suicide for those who no longer wish to endure life's hardships. This makes existence feel like a prison where suffering is enforced.
Unlike pleasure, which is fleeting, suffering can be endless and overwhelming. One bad accident, disease, war, or economic collapse can turn a stable life into a living nightmare. The worst part is that suffering is often undeserved—people who do nothing wrong still endure immense pain due to bad luck or circumstances beyond their control.
The world today operates like an open-air prison in many ways, where control is enforced not through physical bars, but through economic dependence, surveillance, psychological conditioning, and systemic oppression.
Most people are trapped in a cycle of work, debt, and survival with no real escape. You're forced to work to afford basic necessities like food, water, and shelter. If you refuse to work, you're left homeless and starving. Wages are deliberately kept low while the cost of living rises, ensuring most people never truly achieve financial independence. Governments bail out corporations but leave ordinary people to struggle. Even in developed countries, people work their whole lives only to retire too old, sick, or exhausted to enjoy any freedom.
Surveillance has reached extreme levels, with governments and corporations monitoring everything you do. CCTV cameras watch your movements in public, while your phone, social media, and online activity are constantly tracked, creating digital records of your life. Facial recognition, AI, and biometrics have turned privacy into an illusion. Governments use anti-terror laws to justify spying on citizens. Protesters, activists, and whistleblowers are silenced, jailed, or even assassinated when they expose corruption.
Society conditions people to accept their imprisonment as normal. Schools teach obedience rather than critical thinking. The media controls narratives, keeping people distracted with entertainment and fake political debates. People are convinced that life is about working hard, buying things, and "staying positive," while those in power exploit them. Those who question the system are labeled as crazy, lazy, or conspiracy theorists.
Movement is also restricted. You cannot just go where you want, even though we live on the same planet. Passports, visas, and immigration laws make it impossible for most people to leave their country. Even within countries, lockdowns, travel restrictions, and curfews can be imposed at any time. Governments decide where you can go, and violating their rules can get you arrested or fined.
Refusing to comply with the system brings harsh consequences. If you don't pay taxes, you are fined or imprisoned. If you don't want to work, you become homeless and starve. If you refuse to obey the law, you face police violence, prison, or worse. If you resist or try to escape, the government labels you a criminal, extremist, or terrorist.
Unlike a physical prison, people believe they are free because they can go outside, watch TV, and buy things. In reality, every option available is controlled by those in power. The illusion of choice—brands, careers, political parties—keeps people distracted, but all paths serve the same system. Even moving to another country doesn't free you, as the whole world operates under the same basic rules.
We are born into a system where obedience is mandatory, survival is a constant struggle, and true freedom is impossible for most people. The only difference between this and a traditional prison is that we can walk around outside—but we're still trapped.
