Escaping the invisible prisons
“The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison“
Dostoevsky
This quote is often attributed to Dostoevsky, though it doesn’t seem to appear verbatim anywhere in his writings. Even if it’s not authentic, it captures themes like control, perception, and freedom—ideas that are central to Dostoevsky’s work. Perhaps that’s why it continues to be widely circulated, it seems very Dostoevsky-ish.
Perception defines freedom
A person who doesn’t recognize his confinement may never seek freedom. The mental and emotional control is real.True control lies in subtlety
Overt oppression is less effective than creating a world where people believe they are free while remaining under control.Self-awareness is the first step toward freedom
Without understanding the boundaries of one’s circumstances, escape or rebellion becomes impossible.Societal norms can act as invisible prisons
Social expectations, traditions, or ideologies can confine individuals, yet they feel content because these constraints are normalized.Freedom is more than physical
Even without physical imprisonment, one’s mind can be held captive by fear, ignorance, or misinformation, limiting their true potential.
We have to ask ourselves often whether our sense of freedom is real or a mere illusion. More often. Only by questioning the systems we are in, we can uncover what truly holds us back.
reminds me of Bukowski's poem:
Bluebird
there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say, stay in there, I'm not going
to let anybody see
you.
there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I pour whiskey on him and inhale
cigarette smoke
and the whores and the bartenders
and the grocery clerks
never know that
he's
in there.
there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too tough for him,
I say,
stay down, do you want to mess
me up?
you want to screw up the
works?
you want to blow my book sales in
Europe?
there's a bluebird in my heart that
wants to get out
but I'm too clever, I only let him out
at night sometimes
when everybody's asleep.
I say, I know that you're there,
so don't be
sad.
then I put him back,
but he's singing a little
in there, I haven't quite let him
die
and we sleep together like
that
with our
secret pact
and it's nice enough to
make a man
weep, but I don't
weep, do
you?