IS SOCIETY NOTHING MORE THAN A FIGMENT OF OUR IMAGINATIONS?

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS SOCIAL STRUCTURE THAT CONSTRAINTS INDIVIDUAL ACTIONS, OR IS SOCIETY NOTHING MORE THAN A FIGMENT OF OUR IMAGINATIONS?

 “None of us are free

None of us are free

None of us are free, if one of us is chained

None of us are free”

 

The answers one seeks can be found in the most inconspicuous of places, all one needs is a discerning mind and untainted perception.

 

Primitive man lived a life that was harsh and uncertain. Men lived together in small tribes that were responsible for their own survival. Food, water, and shelter were not abundant and every member of a tribe worked to make ends meet. These tribes were autonomous groups that were not dependent on outsiders so they could live as they pleased. Man’s life within his tribe was not a spectacle for outsiders.

But even in this era of self-sufficient tribes with no widespread interaction between the groups, one could not escape the social structure within the tribe. These hunter-gatherer tribes were always in search of food and water and needed every able-bodied man and woman to play their part in securing the resources needed to ensure the survival of the group.

Now some of these earlier men and women might not have gotten along with their tribesmen and could have thought about leaving and living their lives by themselves. A few brave individuals might even have gone through with it but most couldn’t have survived for long because it would be near impossible to live by yourself while hunting animals, gathering edibles, searching for water, braving the weather, fighting off predators, maintaining you shelter, battling other tribes for essential resources and surviving isolation.

Man has bound to man since ages, out of his own selfish desire to survive, if not freewill.

Fast forward to the 21^st century where things have changed drastically. Agriculture, farming, science, technology, and education has revolutionized the way man lives. We now live in huge communities with networks of interdependent systems that have improved living conditions a hundredfold. The life of present-day man has become much easier as compared to his primitive counterpart. Or has it?

Man now makes his living by working a specialized job, or running a business, by which he earns money. He uses that money to purchase the things he needs like shelter, food, clothing etc. No more hunting animals and searching for drinkable water, no need to worry about predators and dying because of the heat or cold. Man is now civilized. He has rights, and a state to safeguard those rights and ensure his wellbeing. But all this development and sophistication has increased man’s dependence on other men more than ever before.

In life, everything comes at a cost. You give something up in order to get something else. That is the way of the world. That is how it has always been and it’s how it will always be.

In order to benefit from all that society has to offer, one must submit themselves to the collective will of society (in part if not completely), otherwise they will be at risk of discrimination and being neglected/cast out. And modern day man cannot afford to be cast out. Man has become soft because of comfort and specialization. He does not possess all the skills necessary to survive by themselves.

Let us consider a case that, although extreme, is very much possible. Consider a man (or even a family) who outright refuses to play nice with the rest of society. He rejects norms and wants to live his life as he pleases. And in turn, society reacts by blocking them out completely. No one hires them for work, or if they run a business, no one comes to buy from them. No one supplies them with raw materials and merchandise needed to run the business. No one sells them anything, no food, no clothes, no supplies. Then their electricity, gas, and water supply are cutoff. And if they get sick, on one offers them any medical service. Law-enforcement agencies refuse to assist him with any disputes. They couldn’t even escape to another country if no one helps them with the required documentation or the airline refuses to let them board the plane.

Modern-day man does not know how to live off the land. They could easily stave or freeze to death. They could just as easily go insane. And if we’re being honest they’ll probably be massacred before any of that could happen. In order to benefit from all that society has to offer, one must submit themselves (in part if not completely) to the collective will of society, otherwise they will be at risk of discrimination and being neglected/cast out.

One must be aware of the norms and culture that are prevalent if they wish to be regarded as an ‘upstanding member of society’ and avail all the benefits that come along with the title. Humans are very conscious creatures. They care about their reputation. They feel pressure to adjust their actions and behavior in a way that is acceptable to society. They will still do their own thing but will generally try not to do or say things that stand out too much or are too offensive. They will feel the need to change themselves (minutely or drastically) to be appreciated and accepted. Now the magnitude of this pressure may be different for people of different social standings but one can never be truly rid of it.

One is always expected to talk in a way that is respectful; one is expected to sit in a way that is deemed decent, one is expected to regard proper dinning etiquette when eating, and even when one loves someone they must do it in a way that society approves of. Things that were supposed to be man’s most personal affairs are subject to judgment once people come to know of them. Your work, religion, family, marriage, nothing is safe from the prying eyes of society. They will find out about it and when they do judge you for it. They will discriminate against you and in one form or other; you will suffer because of it. You will be punished for something that may neither be illegal nor immoral, only unpleasant to the eyes of society.

Which brings us to the beginning of our little journey, “None of us are free”. The same society that facilitates our lives and gives us sense of belonging, comfort, and protection also shackles us. You may think that your individual actions are free of outside influence, and to a certain extent you may be right, but absolute freedom of action is never possible in modern day society.

That isn’t to say that it’s all bad, a lot of times, the ways of society benefit all parties involved. Modern society makes our lives easier most of the time, but when things go wrong, that can all change. If you are unfortunate enough to be a person who doesn’t get along with society and the way things are, then my friend, you would have had better chances having being born a caveman.