What would you do when you suddenly wake up and realize your whole career, in fact, your whole life until now was just a dream? Is this a relief or a new nightmare? “None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free” was already quoted by Goethe more than 200 years ago. Are you confused and overwhelmed with your job and what is presented from the media because you realized that something goes in a total wrong direction?
We live in a time of radical changes. Radical in this context means that the regime and systems we perceive as some kind of steady, whether we like it or not, are falling apart or changing faster than we can mentally cope with.
Dramatic development
The dramatic development takes place at two levels: at the collective, such as state, society and corporate level on one hand and at the individual level on the other hand.
Both levels are changing dramatically and currently, in terms of awareness and perception, going in opposite directions. However, they are moving eventually in the same direction of truthfulness.
Why is that so?
If you look at history and the evolution of human beings, this is not new. Perhaps what is new, is the increased pace of the change in these days. This can cause panic on both levels.
Collective madness
It may sound paradox but let’s begin with the more easy level – the collective systems. The more challenging level is the individual level, which we address later.
Everything has a beginning and an end. Like the rise and fall of empires, nations, systems and corporations. The current systems are in an end phase and the new “thing” is in its throes. The old systems are shaken with overlapping and deep changes, trying to survive by retaining their power while in the meantime putting more pressure on the individuals.
In order to survive, one form of the resistance is to deny the need of change by a compulsive adaptation. This consequently causes more resistance by the individuals. In some cases, this is intended to provide after the collapse a newly constructed order or solution.
We can see how societies, also reflected in the changes of corporate behaviors and cultures, are drifting apart. A higher number of employees see less and less a sense in in their jobs. People are overwhelmed in their daily fights for survival and are increasingly micro managed at work. Most people simply ignore it. They do not want to get into it. They do not think about this during the day and after work, they compensate with sports or their hobbies which is fair enough. We cultivate our mindfulness and still, there is this feeling of anxiety or inadequacy when we are looking at the big picture.
“There is no doubt that the elites have recognized that something is going wrong here. However, the answer is likewise simple and terrifying.”
The obsessive urge to adaptation makes it obvious to declare an aberration not as a failure but as a normal state. Just make the majority think a dysfunctional system is a normal state and you can continue the old way or preparing a new construction after the system collapsed.
What is happening right now is more a cultural and personal alienation, but the key message here is: we don’t realize it because the majority behaves like that.
We, as individuals, do not develop ourselves as we really are – with our capabilities, personal developments and also our limitations. At the corporate level, we should contribute to the “change” and “efficiency” programs, we should be hardworking and disciplined to become successful, regardless if it is sensible or not. As long as we are adapted, everything is great.
Who am I?
Because it is obviously not like that, we are in a permanent conflict: the individual, who I am and who I want to be compared to the one I have to be in order to get the blessings from my boss or my colleagues. Some corporate creepers do this on purpose to get up the career ladder. The question is, do you feel good by giving up your individual freedom? Are you still genuine with all your characteristics, including your fears, inhibitions and insecurities? By being a perfectionist, you limit your individual freedom. How about giving up the full control and having more trust in the flow of life?
It is a paradox, because today we have so many opportunities and information easy available. However, we are prevented because we are pushed into a certain direction. This starts with the belief systems of our parents, the dogmas during school and the unspoken rules when we are at work. Hence, most individuals ask themselves: how do I need to be in order to be accepted and becoming successful?
It is important that we understand the purpose behind. School systems are not really interested in education and personal growth. The purpose behind is bringing up citizens who are adapted to the authorities. I am not blaming the teachers, most of them are good. I had great teachers. However, they are often trapped in the curricula which does not support the benefit and development of their pupils. The same patterns are found in the health systems, in some corporations and others.
Self-alienation
The consequences are fatal. The conditions lead to adaption at on one hand and on the other hand, we expect recognition, appreciation and love. The adaption is anchored in our brains, we have lost our self- and external relatedness which leads to identification with the aggressor without noticing it. Do what others tell you to do. Rings a bell? The domination is perceived as absolutely normal. It is more convenient if you don’t have to think for yourself. However, once the segregation of ourselves starts to hurt because we become aware of it, the system knows how to keep us unconsciousness by causing confusion, entertainment and stultification.
There are more and more emotional dependencies through intellectual dependencies. Moreover, there are new regulations and limitations of expressing different opinions. The purpose behind this is to prevent the raising self-awareness and dissolution of the self-worth. It is an abuse.
Levelling down
Before society and corporate life drifted apart, there was a time where differences were deliberately recognized and discussed. Today, levelling down is the new dogma. Adapt to the collective – don’t become an individual. The individuals must remain subordinates because the (old) leaders are getting afraid of the increased awareness of these individuals. And yes, a lot of individuals think they are free and can make free decisions. However, we have been trapped long ago and kept in the illusion, fed with nonsense from the mainstream. The way how media is bringing constantly updates without providing real background news is a complete time waster. That is one way to keep the individuals under control – the spoiled collective is put into the center of attention. And the one who differs too much from this collective will be disqualified. You lost your job because you became uncomfortable to the old system or you woke up and left voluntary to join a company which does not participate in the collective madness.
Of course the game is subject to the market laws. It is also related to proper handling of interpersonal dealings to avoid chaos. Most people don’t question it, they just struggle to survive or don’t care as long as they remain happy in their illusion.
To survive the competition, let’s present yourself! Express yourself! Unfortunately what you see most during your corporate life is more illusion than reality. I have experienced this when working on projects in Germany and particularly in the US. The people over there were world champions in the discipline of self-presentation. You have to be strong in order to survive the competition. Teamwork? Maybe on a PowerPoint slide during kick off but not really during the project.
The competition takes place elsewhere
Slowly, we are realizing that the competition takes place elsewhere: within ourselves. Am I truthful and follow my Higher Self or do I prefer to be a convenient slave?
The social influences such as political, economic, ideological and corporate cultures determine not only which values are correct or wrong but also the alienation of the individual. How should we be then? Only because the majority claims what is correct or wrong, it does not mean that it is correct or wrong.
Perhaps the split in society is on purpose. Divide and rule is an old formula, which still works. And it is also important to understand that no part is right. Instead of recognizing the gap, we remain in the old resistance mechanism. We are the good guys – the “others” are the bad ones.
We are experiencing a split, which is a collective defense because we do not want to understand each other. We need to understand that we are living in an illusion or at least accepting that something is going in the wrong direction. To consider this in a larger context: you are the one who supports the wrong system. And in a larger context, the system is a pure construction and a fiction. Like in the science fiction movie “Matrix” almost 20 years ago.
What you can see every day are the statements which do not come from the people’s own perception but from the perversity of a stereotype, often through lobbying or propaganda, which we should have faith in and we should act accordingly what is presented. These stereotypes are based on a joke but often not recognized as such.
In the next blog I will talk about how you can leverage yourself from nonsense to sense, why we should pay more attention to the outsiders and why introspection is key to find the reset button.
