Let them be.

#1511

Photo by Luca Upper on Unsplash

"Freedom is the possibility of goodness." - Albert Camus

Yesterday, I wrote about the possibility that the level of violence and aggression that we observe in our societies may be because so many of us live in a sort of captivity. 

Being captive means being confined or restricted to a particular place, especially against one's will. The first images that come to mind are of animals in cages or imprisoned people. So, it's about being deprived of freedom and liberty. 

And how many people feel deprived of their freedom? How many feel trapped or imprisoned? They are not physically detained, but they feel limited in their freedom by their circumstances. It may be a physical condition restricting their movement. Or they may have a job with little or no control over what they do. Or they lack resources, so they are dependent on others. The list can go on. 

Erving Goffman's concept of "total institutions" refers to settings that isolate individuals from society and impose strict rules and routines on their daily lives. Settings like prisons, mental hospitals, and boarding schools. Goffman argues that these institutions create a unique set of social conditions that can foster bullying and other forms of aggression.

As a matter of fact, research has shown that bullying is indeed a problem in many total institutions. A study of bullying in Canadian prisons found that 72% of inmates reported being bullied or harassed. Another study of bullying in Australian youth detention centres found that 80% of staff members had witnessed bullying.

So, the more controlling and strict an environment, the more we will see the rise of toxic and aggressive behaviours. Without getting to the extreme of total institutions, in organizations with strict rules and routines, you'll probably see a rise in egoism, competition, aggressiveness, conflicts, fear and bullying. 

So, the first step to creating a more kind, peaceful and creative environment is to liberate people. So, the true friendly nature of human beings can emerge.

Let them be.