The «free world» likes to look down on despotic societies, past or present, whose citizens were obliged, or strongly persuaded, to think in certain specific ways – and sent to Siberia, burned as witches or stoned to death if they had other ideas of their own.
But perhaps our society might turn a critical eye on itself. Do we really think freely? Or are we enslaved to ideas and attitudes we’ve never thought to question?
- things taste better with salt or sugar
- kids don’t like vegetables
- success means buying more things
- work is for earning money
- we need to make noise
- let’s buy something new
The list could be endless. And in each case we are fed these ideas with more than one purpose. Firstly, to prevent us from thinking freely – free thinking might be catching. Secondly, to keep the money machine rolling. Everywhere we hear: a good life costs money.
- processed food companies have got us hooked on salt and sugar
- fast-food outlets give us what we’ve been conditioned to like
- advertising consistently gives us the spending buzz
- the market is flooded with labour-saving devices
- shopping malls and cafés use noise to incite consumption
- manufacturers make us think we need «the latest»
Free thinking has to be creative. To break free of the shackles of conditioning, we need first to recognise them, and then, as Hamlet said, by opposing end them. This doesn’t mean a radical upheaval. Why not take opportunities as they come: if the dishwasher has broken down (again!), we might find we actually enjoy washing the dishes by hand.
That’s the difficult bit, because the conditioning goes deep down and our first reaction would be: You must be joking!!
Can we? It depends on how free we are.

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