Institutionalization

  I'm going to tell you a story. The journey out of slavery starts in a cold jail cell with Joe, Tom and Anthony. In the jail their cells are lined up one next to the other.
             Joe was put in jail at such a young age that it's all he knows. He has never been outside the cell. Tom remembers the outside world as a harsh and hostel place. It was lonely and fending for himself was hard. Sometimes he gets sick of jail but at least here he has three meals a day, a roof over his head and he is never alone. Anthony was put in jail as punishment for something he had done wrong a long time ago. He still feels so guilty about what he did that he figures he is right where he belongs.
            Then a person named Nick comes along and visits the jail. He is happy and has a strange smile like he knows a secret. Nick says "Joe, Tom and Anthony there is a wonderful place called freedom where there are no bars and you can come and go as you please. It is the most wonderful place. That's where I'm from." Each one replied in their own way. Joe excitedly said "I've never been out of this cell that sounds great." Tom replied," I have heard of that place but never really believed it existed. The world I remember was nothing like that." Anthony quickly started to laugh, "There is no place like Nick is a liar and a fool and even if there was a place like that we are locked in these cells. How cruel you are to come here"
            "The land of freedom is real and I can take you there." said Nick. "How?" Joe asked. "Reach in your pocket you'll find the key to your cell." replied Nick. "This guy is crazy! There is nothing but dessert out there." yelled Anthony as he turned away and refused to listen anymore. Joe and Tom reached in their pockets and sure enough they each found a key to their cell. Filled with joy they both unlocked their cells and ran out of the jail but before they left Joe yelled back to Anthony "Come on the key is in your pocket!" but Anthony just turned away.
            As soon as they got out side Nick started to lead the way through a hot desert. They walked on a wide road with tons of people. Nick kept talking about how great the land of freedom is. Joe and Tom were so glad to be out of their cells. As the days passed and they kept moving Tom asks, "How much further is it? I'm starving and the sun is too hot. You never said it was this far away and if there is a land of freedom what are all these people doing here." Nick replied, "These people could come too if they wanted to but we just have to keep moving." More time went by and Tom finally yells, "Forget this! Anthony was right even the jail was better than this dessert." Then Tom turned back and started walking toward the jail.
            "It's just a little bit further just down this narrow road." said Nick. Joe tired out didn't say anything but he kept walking. Then all of a sudden the dessert faded away and there was the land of freedom in all its beauty. A wonderful place but only a few people. "That cell seems so far away. I can't believe I'm here." said Joe. "I'm glad you trusted me." said Nick as they both sat down to relax. 
       

     Addiction is imprisonment. Whatever reason a person is in a cell time goes by and as it does a person in jail becomes institutionalized. This means people get used to the cell and are comforted by it because they know what to expect from it. In this story everyone did what they wanted, when they wanted to. The only question was did they want freedom or not. Are you Joe, Tom, Anthony or one of the people in the desert?
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This a simple story and yes it's the exodus or the Christ archetype but it also shows how we get institutionalized. Since this was written 8 years ago I have learned a lot about the brain. All brains are wired to choose function over truth. Or easy over difficult. It is a good way to not waste resources but if the easy is destructive  then resources will be wasted. This where we have to choose the short term or the long term and the answer to that question is it depends. 
If the long term has a greater return than the cost of short term pain then good. If not then bad. 
This sounds simple but so many of our decisions are subconscious where we hand the decision over to our bodies and give up our conscious mind. This can be detrimental.

Pick your battles wisely. ​