Got a lovely email today from corporate. It told me that I couldn't be political at work. Sounds benign, yes? We don't want a bunch of campaigning for 'stuff' in the workplace.
Funny part is, if I wasn't at this juncture in life/mind, as it comes to my job, it probably wouldn't have bothered me much. At this point, I even find that comment concerning, because the message is subtle, casual, and erodes at individuality in the most sneaky fashion.
What it really said, was 'take it down another notch towards vanilla, towards same, towards homogeneity'. The ultimate vision of this train of thought is inevitably filled with automatons, playing their roles and eventually walking callously and carelessly towards their demise (usually a distubing demise). We tell this story all the time, in a variety of ways. Usually there is a hero or small band of heroes that rebel against this epitomy of the 'the man' and break free (or not, if it is meant to be dark) of tyranny.
While we love this movie, and want so badly to be that hero, we live our day to day lives in increasing anonimity, supressing our individuality for a 'nicer' world, for a kinder and softer place to work. I understand it, I can see both sides (as usual, I am an enneagram 9 as I will discuss later), but I want to share my awareness in hopes that all can be aware of the little ways this paradigm sneaks into our world.
The larger the entity, and the more human components specifically, the more there is a need for this vanilla presentation. Each cog in the machine can break more than itself through poor behavior. Each cog can wreck a business relationship(s), cause a staff mutiny, create unrest and inefficiency. So each cog has to be fine tuned to fit. With people, it is not only to fit, but to make them content with their fit. Thus enters the world of the spindoctors and real doctors. With sweet nothings and calming medications, they coax us into acceptance one piece at a time. I understand this. I want no part of it.
We all should have a point where we 'draw a line' in the bartering of our souls for something 'greater'. If you take the true vanilla path, I don't dog you, I just hope you are getting something good out of it personally. If not, you've been duped.
So back to my point and to wrap it up on this one, they told me I couldn't stand for anything political in any work association/environment. Not at the office, or (as previously stated to me) not when anyone who knows me may associate my employer and I. So, only in the privacy of my own home, basically. Keep in mind, all social, health, justice, economic, environmental, and even pop culture topics (unless vanilla) are political. Mmmmm, so who am I and what do I stand for? Please don't ask me. Once I knew, but since I cannot practice, I have forgotten entirely and now I stand for my vanilla company only.
Later-E
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