Power Imbalance and Choice

[qos]

I'm hijacking wlotus's post and my response, because I think she raises a great question, and I found myself having to really think through my answer.

This was her entry:

Choice is an illusion created between those with power and those without.
~ The Merovingian, Matrix Reloaded

Feel free to discuss.


My response:

It's very important to me to believe that no matter what the situation I'm in, I always have the power to make choices. At a fundamental level, I am in control of my thoughts and actions.

That said, what I suspect the quote refers to is the relative lack of options available to those without power and the kinds of consequences assessed against the powerless who make the "wrong" choices.

It can also refer to the fact that most people are conditioned to not perceive or accept their freedom of choice due to cultural conditioning. There were many times growing up when I thought Oh, I couldn't do that! when in reality the choice was open and available to me but I had been trained to not even consider it as an option.

There are also, of course, cases the kind of abuse that makes leaving a bad situation "unthinkable." You keep your head down and do what you're told, believing that things will only get worse if you try to change or leave. I'm fortunate enough to have my first impulse be to consider this a rare situation -- but on reflection I think it's probably more prevalent than I realize.

I agree with the underlying observation above: that power imbalance injustly limits the options of and sets sanctions against far too many, often without the powerless fully realizing it. At the same time, I think it's important for individual mental health and simple human dignity to be aware that we can always choose. The issue becomes what consequences we're willing to face.

I think that's the power of a Gandhi, a Mandela, and the women who demonstrated and went to jail to win the right to vote in the US. They saw the culture around them saying "You can't -- it's unthinkable, against natural law" and they steadily and powerfully said, "Yes, I/we can." They were beaten, they went to jail, they suffered. But ultimately exercising their choices made a difference. Of course, their victories don't erase the tragedies of the millions who have exercised their choices and died for it.

It's a hard issue. And it's one of the reasons I'm as open as I am with Wolfling and always stress that she has choices. We discuss possible consequences of her choices, but I always want to make sure that she understands the decision of what to do belongs to her and no one else. Not even me. Not even her teachers. Not even the law.

Comments

[erl-queen.livejournal.com]

At the same time, I think it's important for individual mental health and simple human dignity to be aware that we can always choose. The issue becomes what consequences we're willing to face.

I agree very much. As a Dionysian, I'm always trying to remind people that they have more freedom, more choice, than they often believe they do. Sometimes just realizing that you *could* pursue a different path, even if you decide not to, makes you feel better about the one you're on.

We have choice even when it comes to the gods. The consequences might be very harsh if we choose to go against them, but we can still choose it. Same with our 'destinies' in a more general sense.

[qos.livejournal.com]

Yes.

One of the most empowering moments of my life was when I realized the truth of the lines from Richard Bach:

We are all. Free. To do. Whatvever. We want. To do.

[erl-queen.livejournal.com]

And I have to remind myself of this a lot, this being a good opportunity. For instance - I've been feeling lately very upset that I don't have the money to travel, that I "can't" travel - but that's not really true. I could choose to work two jobs, put all my extra money into savings, and I could probably save enough in less than a year. But that wouldn't be an acceptable situation for me, because I want to have more of my time to devote to my practice - hence I *choose* to take time over money, and therefore it will be longer until I can travel. But I need to remember - it IS a choice on my part.

[amqu.livejournal.com]

I strongly feel nearly every human over a certain age has the power to make choices, even if they are very limited. In fact, even those who insist they have no choice have chosen to allow others to make their choices for them, even if they don't recognize it.

Certainly it is unfair that some people live in totalitarian regimes with such oppression their choice might only be to decide how to mentally cope with their imprisonment or death, and others live in open societies with their choices being things like should I live in the high mountain desert or the Pacific Northwest.

We have to keep in mind that although sometimes it doesn't matter which way we choose, other times it is a choice between righteousness and evil. And ultimately, you cannot refuse to make a choice because that, in itself, is a choice.