Secularisation has cleansed our society from the oppression and indoctrinations of religion, carving out a space where we could be free at last. However, it appeared a false hope: we are free from religion, but we are not free to express our original way of being human. The void that was created by the absence of religion was quickly occupied by other institutes that recuperated our motivation and life force for their own purpose. To name a few:
- We are lead to believe that our fundamental needs can be fulfilled by buying things (Bernays). To feel connected with our family and friends, we need a smart phone with a premium plan. It makes us dependent on products and does not actually fulfill us in the long term.
- We think we are being authentic when we do what makes us feel good, loosing ourselves in consumption and entertainment. It takes away our focus from finding our unique way of being human, which is the actual path to authenticity (Taylor).
- We willingly participate in a power dynamic of surveillance (permanent observation), normalisation (clear standards of behavior) and examination (comparison to the standards and correction of behavior if needed). Imagine what would happen if you as a man would go to work completely dressed in pink. Everybody would watch you (surveillance). They would think: “that’s not normal” (normalisation). You may be gently pressured to change your ways (examination). We all keep each other from freely expressing ourselves by voluntarily participating in this oppresive power dynamic.
- Another power dynamic is the dominant discourse of scientific evidence. We are lead to believe that science is the only way to obtain true knowledge, and that every problem will in the end be solved by scientific progress. We devalue our intuitive knowledge and our subjective experience, and become dependent on externally validated knowledge.
To aquire the freedom to lead an authentic life, we need the skill of discernment to distinguish between what is ours, and what is not. To understand how external forces are leading us astray. It is a path of self-recognition.