What Are You Slave To?

 

What Enslaves Us

I found this quote yesterday and decided to use it on my morning’s napkin. I have my own things I am, or have been, slave to in my life, including a few on the list below. But I was interested in what others had to say about this topic so I posted the following question on Facebook:

Question: I am drawing a napkin today about what we are slaves to. What are you now, or have you been, slave to? What about others you know? Family traits, cultural?

Here is a list of the answers people talked about.  

  • Alcohol
  • Insecurities
  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Clichés
  • Cell Phone
  • Nothing
  • Love 
  • Changing environment
  • Government
  • Voices in my head
  • Petroleum
  • Facebook
  • The scale
  • Rules
  • Urgency
  • Perfectionism
  • Controlling things
  • Consumerism
  • Righteousness
  • Fear
  • Death
  • My boss
  • Need to please
  • Society standards
  • Work
  • Beauty
  • Guilt
  • Masturbation
  • Expectations
  • Responsibilities

And finally,

  • Chocolate

Do you have others to add?  It would make me happy if you would do so in the comments.

Rule Breaker/Rule Keeper

Out of that list I chose to illustrate the idea of ‘rules’. It seemed to me that most, if not all, the items on that list came back to our dealing with rules.  Rules we either think we should or should not obey.  Rules cover a lot.

I have family members and good friends who see themselves as rule keepers.  They feel they are able to control their lives adequately by following the rules of society, government, work, and the rules in their own head.  In most cases it seems to work for them. But I also know they get incredibly stressed out at times trying to follow all these rules. It’s draining because many of them are arbitrary, don’t contribute to actual goodness, and just make no sense. And yet they still obey those rules.  

I also have family members and good friends who see themselves as rule breakers (myself included).  They feel it gives them a freedom and a creativity to face the world with enthusiasm and fun.  In most cases it works for them. But they also can get in trouble, or cause trouble, in situations where the trouble doesn’t help anyone. It’s not the positive trouble-making I mentioned a few days ago regarding entrepreneurs, it’s the trouble that comes from being oblivious to the benefits rules give to them and others. They break them without purpose, just to do it, or just ‘for fun’ without realizing how it may hurt themselves and others.  And yet they still break the rules.

Some are in both camps. They are rule keepers to the world around them, but rule breakers secretly. We all are a bit like that I think, but some are so torn between the two that their public face and their private face have nothing in common.  I believe that is a very dangerous place to be.

Why Polish?

Knowing what we are enslaved by is all well and good, but if we are interested in overcoming our slavery then the next, equally important question, is:

How and why do we ‘polish the chain’ that enslaves us?  What causes us to do that?  

What’s your answer?

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Drawing and questions by Marty Coleman, Answers by the Napkin Kin

Quote by Marcel Mariën, 1920-1993, Belgian Surrealist

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