Repression: Autonomous Collective, Dictatorship or Self Realisation?

I awoke this morning with the word ‘repression’ in my mind. It was the answer to a long standing question I had experienced during a conflict with management. I had asked why I had been treated the way I had by using the silent treatment (stonewalling) rather than seeking pathways to resolve the conflict, which I had made clear was my intention. I couldn’t understand why the other parties were not interested in resolution and steadfastly stood by a decision which I had stated was not true. No matter what I said in my own defence there was no answer forthcoming nor interest in my wellbeing. I puzzled over this a long time until this morning.

When the word ‘repression’ came up it was an epiphany, in a moment I knew what it meant. I saw Gandhi’s struggle in British India and the great suffering, this moment was like for the first time in my life I understood the incredible pain of repression. I thought of how people are shutdown in a myriad of ways. The word ‘control’ came up and this lead to management techniques of power over rather than power within (democracy and choice). I then could see our whole social structure and inherent within this the structure was violent in covert and overt ways. Repression in its nature is to shutdown the ‘other’, to demonise or put down the other in favour of your own thinking or process. The idea is to not enter a conversation to resolve a problem, the one repressing will maintain control and will not see themselves as accountable or answerable to any questions. Democracy shares power and opens to resolution, repression is closed to the other and this is the beginning of disempowerment ‘I have no power’, ‘I give up’ and ‘I submit, ‘I have no say.’ What I saw was the lack of democracy in the workplace as a reality as people are told what to do and the notion of a democratic system not existing, in truth. That doesn’t mean everyone is out to repress, my feeling was that much of this was unconscious and conditioned as appropriate or normalised. I found myself going over my blog and found the article on ‘The War for Boys or Healing the Pain’. When I re-read parts of this it brought compassion into my heart as I realised males are trained to suppress themselves (and some females, sorry to generalise). So external repression is a reflection of internal repression. I felt for the boys having difficulty expressing their feelings and finding there is a boys code where this is not allowed. So for me I could find space for understanding in this awareness. In my case a manager had tried to repress me through silence, but I have to smile, I am a poet, I sent him poetry as my own expression. I felt empowered as I was finding answers within (this is where all answers are). It was in earnest as I really was trying to find the wisdom to understand this form of covert passive aggression, which I realised was not having nothing to say, it was deliberate. I have to add for some men silence is their way and it doesn’t mean they are being repressive, in my case it was a negative act not one of solutions. The poetry has definitely lead me down a pathway as I have reached for wisdom in my own darkness (ignorance). However this morning I really got it, I got what repression means. I also connected to Julian Assange and his comment on the balcony in London. I got what he was about as he talked of repression and mentioned the Central and South American countries on the border of the United States and their experience of repression. Of course I knew something of this as I travelled through these countries and learned of the horrendous torture and torment the people experienced through dictators, many learned their torture techniques from the US. The US has a history of supporting or creating dictators which is revealing. His comment on the balcony for me, was about the issue of repression as control behind the face or mask of democracy. In my own situation I saw I am supposedly in a democratic society, yet I increasingly see the actions of individuals as role play, procedure divorced from an integrated understanding of human rights, values and the dignity of the human person. Self interest and risk minimisation drove those decisions not a fundamental desire for peace and harmony. Even looking through management literature about the workplace and the detailed studies done to make sure people are efficient and how they psychologically fit into management models, I discovered suppression in the structure. I found it very interesting, there is control exercised, no voting taking place in offices, given decisions affect peoples lives significantly. I worked in 400 workplaces and I have had this experience of being a faceless face where what I wanted was irrelevant. I found in my case my needs were invisible in this context. Think about it, work is where we spend most of our lives, we cannot say truthfully we live in a democracy, in reality we live in a dictatorial setting. Therefore, this type of control and repression is inherent in the structure of how we organise lives and worldwide, still existing from medieval times. It is interesting to observe and learn about.

I could cry repression in my case, but in truth it made me stronger and I get it now. The idea what you resist persists, what you look at disappears (problem solving, clarity) is succinct in describing how opposites work to create states of conflict and how attitudes of problem solving create solutions. It is always a choice. So when we look at the cries of repression, let’s see where the resistance is and how do we redress the grievances in order to share power to live a life of liberty and happiness which some espouse are the goals of our societies. Equality is the reality, we are all equal, meaning no person is worth more than another, each is a miracle, the very fact they are born into this life with unique gifts is evidence of equality and the miracle of life. Imagine the one sperm and egg that connected out of millions, pretty amazing. Just imagine when we dismantle the structures of violence around the World, you will be stunned at the incredible potential that is unlocked as people feel freer to pursue what they really enjoy. So for those feeling repressed get creative would be my call, there are always options to feel your own power, tap into that. Don’t hate the other, understand that all repression comes from control which links to deep fear of loss of control for they know the facade of power is not real and that is the fear, that people will see that truth. I think people globally are starting to question and the truth is flushed to the surface. Many want to see change or a sea-change.

I have to say, notwithstanding, the repression is in each of us. I did ask myself when I saw repression in another, where is it in me? This is the thinking that sees the World as a reflection of myself, how do I see it if it is not within me? That is the beginning of peace. What you see in another is in you. At some point I have repressed also, so I can’t go ‘them and us’, I can say I understand your repression I did it when I felt fear. I either did it to myself or someone else. Acknowledging this truth is real democracy and believe me the truth sets us free from fear. Beautiful isn’t it.

So I had to get this film clip of Monty Python (below) to lighten it up and reveal repression in a humorous light. In truth, repression overtime creates democracy (given duality) as people rise up, so who is to say it is bad in the long run. You have to decide from the experience, ‘no I don’t want this.’ ‘What do I want?’, ‘I want fairness’, ‘I want to have a say’ etc. This is the beginning of creating a newer World, one that returns to human dignity and unity. Nature automatically takes us there and is inherent in yin/yang or moving to equilibrium. Some call this the pendulum swinging, always movements bring us back to centre. I found that with research I often had a few radical comments but the majority of comments revealed common sense as the average (centre).

I am seeing the duality of this life and if I step back without issuing edicts of right and wrong and simply see the outcomes, then I get a picture of the role repression has played in providing the choice of what we really want. Sometimes we have to suffer to see clearly what we value. Clearly Julian Assange’s mission has been created by the repression of himself, Wikileaks and Private Manning not to mention many others standing up. It links to the Americas and unresolved grievances that are the silent flag flown for all people’s who are feeling repressed which can be easily seen in every country. However, the difference today is, we can step into the spotlight of wisdom rather than the dark past of revenge, we can be a mirror to those who are still in ignorance believing what they do creates security and order or finding narratives to justify not changing. When repression stonewalls debates and business-as-usual for the money rather than the highest good of society, then the cracks will appear in the dam wall and there will be those who help the other see what they do. That is why I have said that your (perceived) enemy is your teacher, they are there as you have attracted them through your actions. Moreover, no longer will those who repress remain in denial as critiques wake them up to their own blindspots and injustice.

Democracy is a wonderful philosophy when we live it, as openness allows people to see each other, everytime we remain silent when upset or choose to shutdown we give energy to repression (of ourselves, others).

We are ‘the change we want to see in the World’ (Gandhi). If you want democracy live it, if you want repression then stonewall, don’t answer, go on a holiday, run away and have another drink to suppress yourself or the other. To see to look opens the World Book. You have to read my poetry to understand that inner sight.

Have fun with Monty Python, that is my humour. We can laugh at ourselves but let’s hope we see the opportunity of getting to know each other as equals and dismantle the repression in all of us.

Monty Python’s Holy Grail