Why Leave the Cell?

[Jenne]

I'm starting this thread because, truly, the answer is NOT as obvious as it's usually treated.

If you are USED to your cell, if you've decorated it, feted it, shared it with others on holidays, why leave it?  Sure, the destruction of your cell was fun, it was personal growth and whatnot, but if you have no plan of action, and you liked quite a bit about your cell...why leave?

[LMNO]

It's not about leaving it. 

It's been said, that a jailbreak is nothing more than leaving one cell for another.

The thing is, most people don't even know they're in jail.  They think that the inner reality they live in was externally created. 

RAW said, "if it was found to be possible that you could choose whether or not you were happy or sad, creative or stagnant, optimistic or pessimistic, wouldn't you want control over that?"

It's about control, freedom, and self-guidance.  But above all, it's to realize that no matter what you do, you're still in prison, so don't think you have "the" "answer", or that you know "it all".

[Jenne]

So what makes it "worth it" then?

I'm serious, here.

I've seen people, ok, like my dad, who FOUGHT their whole lives to be something they didn't want to be, to be the anti-what-they-thought-they'd-be, and where do they end up?  Smack in the middle of said thing.  That they didn't want.

Why would struggle be worth it in the end, then?  What is it that makes it all worth the while, if all you do is fail in the end?

[LMNO]

"A true initiation never ends."

Don't like where you are?  Smash it, and rebuild.

Don't like what you've done to the place?  Smash it, and rebuild.

Just bored?  Smash it, and rebuild.

Stagnation is for dead ponds.

[Thurnez Isa]

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/plato.html

one of the few things plato wrote that i actually like
may help you out abit jenne

[Jenne]

You have to have the energy to do that in order for that to work however.

Stagnation is not always a symptom of boredom or perplexity.

[LMNO]

No one ever said this would be easy, Jenne...

[Jenne]

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~wldciv/world_civ_reader/world_civ_reader_1/plato.html

one of the few things plato wrote that i actually like
may help you out abit jenne

Thanks, TI, I've read the allegory of the cave before--it's a very nice example of how we are manipulated.

I guess what I'm getting at, is that there are plenty of people born to be free, but they don't have the desire or will to do so, even after they've been made aware of where they are.  For various reasons.  So why should they leave?  Or try to leave?  What compelling reason would bring them out and make them want to get rid of the cell they are in if they have more impetus to stay, all things being equal?

[AFK]

If one recognizes they are in one cell of a larger prison and then chooses to stay in the cell they've decorated, etc. at least they've recognized it.

Personality would play a key role in this.  

People talk about "fight or flight".

It would seem, when talking about The Black Iron Prison you have to add another option.  Or can remaining in your original cell, on an informed basis, be labled fight or flight?  

[Jenne]

No one ever said this would be easy, Jenne...

Aha.  Yup.  THAT I knew.

but when you are...well...converting your people to the BIP way of thinking...how do you get them to reach beyond critical mass?

What do you appeal to?

[Jenne]

If one recognizes they are in one cell of a larger prison and then chooses to stay in the cell they've decorated, etc. at least they've recognized it.

Personality would play a key role in this. 

People talk about "fight or flight".

It would seem, when talking about The Black Iron Prison you have to add another option.  Or can remaining in your original cell, on an informed basis, be labled fight or flight? 

I don't know...but this is a good answer.  If you've fought, but you have no will to flee...where does that leave you?  I also agree personality is part of it.  There are plenty of people willing to fight ANYthing...but creating something new is not in their makeup.

Same for those who want to flee, but have no will to fight their way free to get to that point.

[P3nT4gR4m]

One possible freedom paradigm:

1) You can only free your mind. Your body remains in jail.

2) It's not only jail if you think it is: Before you free your mind you don't even know it is. But it is.

3) Once you free your mind you can, to an greater extent, decide for yourself if is or not.

Or:

1) Jail holds body - body holds mind

2) Mind leaves body - mind leaves jail

[LMNO]

Well, when we went beyond BIP into The Machine,Ñ¢ studies, I suggested that the Machine,Ñ¢ occured when people forgot they were in prison, and recoiled in horror at the baser aspects of their cell. ¬†Even if you don't want to bust out, simply remembering the imperfect nature of their perceptions will help you.

[Jenne]

One possible freedom paradigm:

1) You can only free your mind. Your body remains in jail.

2) It's not only jail if you think it is: Before you free your mind you don't even know it is. But it is.

3) Once you free your mind you can, to an greater extent, decide for yourself if is or not.

Or:

1) Jail holds body - body holds mind

2) Mind leaves body - mind leaves jail

I like this too...though this second part may be harder for people to understand unless they've done it themselves...

[LMNO]

That's why one of my approaches is scientific and biological, to establish some concrete limitations, before I get into the psychological/emotional/metaphysical limitations.