Who has heard of a Panopticon?
It is a type of prison that has all its prisoner around one tower with one guard. The prisoners cannot see the guard, but the guard can see all the prisoners. This is a very effective way of surveilling and controlling because the prisoners never know if the guard is looking at them or at others. This ultimately results in the prisoners having to behave at all times as if the guard is looking directly at them, because they don't know if they are, and could get in trouble for misbehaving. In fact, theres no need for a guard. The Panopticon can be controlled with only making the prisoners think there is a guard with every once in a while punishing someone to make an example. Imagine also, that in this prison they give the prisoners rewards if they "snitch" of the other prisoners, making the guard even less necessary. The prisoners themselves guard each other and make sure the order is kept. Because if they are good, they will get rewarded and if they are bad they could get caught. They could be being watched by "the guard" at any point, or they could be betrayed by another prisoner who's in a similar position to them and is feeling jealous. This system was designed by Jeremy Bentham in the 18th century. He believed that power should be always present but unverifiable. With it, the behaviour and morals of the prisoners would change. He believed for the better. They would be reformed, become more honest, take care of their health and generally be good (because they were being watched and had to).
I'm sure we can all recall a moment back in school, messing around in class, chatting with friends, and when the teacher comes close to your table you stop talking and get on with your work (or at least appear to be). The same happens at work when your boss comes in, you straighten up and appear more busy in their presence. Imagine they were present the whole time. Not necessarily watching you in particular, but they were there. In your table in the class, or you share a desk with them at work. Your behaviour would be reformed. The constant supervision forces you to act "the correct way".
Thanks to technology, our whole society is now a panopticon tower. "Surveillance capitalism". Did you know that in China, you are being constantly monitored through street cameras? These are not street cameras like you see in London or Paris. These have facial recognition so they know it is YOU that is there at that time. Not only that. They also have all phones connected to a governmental program that sees their location to cross reference with the cameras so you are always being watched. 1984 anyone?
This can be helpful for locating people when there, for example, a murder or a robbery, but it also takes away freedom. It conditions you (not forces, I was going to say forces but it is not the word) to behave in a certain way. To act "good" because they could be watching. For example, if you cross the road when light is red, you will receive in less than 10 minutes a fine directly to your phone and paid instantly via the same (this is 100% real and happening right now in the big Chinese cities to Chinese residents). You may be out, drinking at the bars. They close, and you are still around the streets having that last roadie beer, and you need to pee. If you are like me, you'd have no problem finding a quiet alley and pee on the road. It's not "good" behaviour, but I don't consider it bad either. In China people don't do it because of the fear of the cameras and constant surveillance. They say that covid "passed" faster in China, because of this surveillance program on each phone. If you were seen exiting your house (via camera or phone location) you'd get fined or possibly jailed. Soooooo they saved lives, but at the cost of personal freedom.
Let's get back from China. What about metro yearly tickets? You think they don't know where you go? Does it matter if they know? No, im not doing anything illegal, but... they know. I'll leave that one for you to ponder. Covid has greatly expanded the power of panoptic surveillance. All those working remote, with programs on their work computers that see every key you press. Or that you have to keep your camera on at all times. You don't know if you are being watched or not, so you must be there working (or at least pretending to). It was said it would be easier for introverts as they didn't have to deal with people, only a computer. But it turns out this is much worse as they are on the spot the whole time. They feel watched, even though they aren't necessarily being watched at that time.
Another example: there are all sorts of programs to monitor phone activity of kids. Those same programs are being used on us and recording everything we do on our phones, our computers and every time we browse the web. What about our data? With 300 likes, algorithms can score higher than your partner on a personality test about you. - Great documentary I recommend: the social dilema- Who has this information? Facebook/Instagram, Google, Apple, Microsoft? I am worried about what will happen with all this personal data. What if governments force these companies to hand this data over in order to predict who could potentially be a criminal? Or for a million other purposes. My fear is of a totalitarian ultra controlling government that doesn't "force" you to act a certain way, but you must do it, because if not... they will know... and there will be a punishment. Again, big brother is watching.
Okkk soo, those are examples of "the guard" in the tower of the panopticon. But, like we said before... The guard is not strictly necessary. The power lies in the not knowing if you are being watched. So forget all those things. Now, the other prisoners who turn on each other for rewards? Here is where you might not agree: We are ALL the prisoners telling on each other. We have gone so deep into it, we don't even realise anymore. I don't mean by this that we tell the police when someone is driving at 140km in a 120km highway. I mean, the way things work. The "machine". The purpose of the panopticon is to maintain order and reform prisoners to act "correctly". And who decides what correct means? They do. Ultimately, we will be reformed to act the way they want. Turning us against each other and have us compete to see who does "best". I think you know where I am going here...
What's the point of life? Earning money? Getting married? Have kids? Who told us this? Why do we have this engraved in our minds? We've been brought up this way and our parents and their parents too. We are the prisoners inside the jail of capitalism. We ask each other "oh, what do you do now?", "where did you study", "You are going to wear that?", "You haven't worked for 4 months? Shouldn't you start looking for a job?". We have been brain washed into playing this rat race game of power-money-fame and influence. If you disagree, then tell me... how do you describe someone "successful"?
We live in a capitalistic world. Like it or not, there is no way of escaping it. Even if you run into a hippy cave community, growing all your food and making your own houses from trees and so on... If you get ill, you will purchase modern medicine with money. The tools you used to build the houses were also probably bought. The land you are staying must belong to someone and you are only a guest there. I must admit I admire these type of people though. Who escape the "traditional" or "correct" way of living and retire into nature. The ones that rumble my stomach me are the others.
The vanilla people (I call them). The ones who go to uni, do internships, blast CVs to any company who will take them, get a job and climb the corporate ladder, buying stupid shit and go to places with people they don't like, and overpay for a tiny meal just to be seen. The ones who shame the different. Who give you bad looks when you don't wear what they think is the appropriate thing to wear. Who pay 60 euros for a candle that kind of smells nice and comes in a cute box, so they can post it on their stories. The ones who after 2 years of being a digital nomad ask me "you are still doing that?" "and you can afford to live?" basically trying to knock me for being different. Little do they know I probably earn more than them. Even if I don't, that's not the best part! I don't have to answer to anyone, I don't need to be anywhere and I dispose of my time to do as I please! I've been on the move constantly and business is doing well. I get to see the world and live a little bit more on my terms. I am still stuck in the capitalistic panopticon, but I try to forget about the guard, and the other prisoners who try to "correct" me, and lead me down their sad paths, have less effect on me each day.
I haven't even talked about how the panopticon works in marketing. Why do we want the things we want? is it our choice or is it images that have been forcefully fed to us in movies signs celebrities (and now also Instagram stars)? But this is a topic for another day. I choose where I want to go and what I want to do. Nevertheless, I remain a prisoner to the ways of thinking of this society. I too want to get married, have kids, have a house with a pool, drive a fast car and have some sort of recognition for my works. The part I differ the most is in the how I want to achieve these things. I won't do it the classic corporate way. I will do it my way. The entrepreneur way. (Is it even my way? or just another thing that's been incepted into my beliefs as something "cool"? Not sure, but still.) My businesses and my rules. So I can have some room for breathing. I don't know why I like what I like, but I like it. I try to follow my own path and not follow the vanilla peoples path. Even if it is "the correct path" that works... because the system is made for it to work this way. Powered by vanilla people who obey and for the business tycoons.
It is a wheel that reinforces itself (like compound interest). They say that the wheel is broken... I don't think that's true. It's not broken, it is rigged. It works in favor of those with most money and influence. They can bend the rules in their favor or even change them. We are all part of it and keep it spinning. They are the ones with power. But relative power. Power they can use within the rules. However I believe, the people with real power are not the politicians who shape the law, or the billionaires who make massive companies and change prices of electricity, own social networks and stuff like that. The real power is in the hands of those who shape what we want. The ones who incept our minds with clues of what is right and wrong. Who choose for us what we like and burry it in our subconscious so that we think we like it because we are unique. Who are these people? It's hard to tell. I think the wheel has been spinning for hundreds of years. Already in the times of Socrates he believed the wheel had started spinning and forming us without our consent. - Again I'll talk about this another time.
I think that life is like a chess board. The rules are fixed (as in, we all have the same carbon body that must eat, sleep and poop), but every game is different and can be played at different levels. No life is the same... But there are many noob games that we know how they will turn out, and then there are the grand chess masters who play in an inspiring way.
Anyways...I hope I've explained myself well enough... I am still new to writing. I don't proof read much, so you can sometimes find gramatical and spelling mistakes, but that's okay. I also get carried away pulling from different strings and don't conclude many of the subjects that I begin... But that's okay too. I am now in Lille, in a cool hostal with international travellers who are fun. I should run to the car and pay for more parking (that is already 30 minutes overdue), but I must leave soon. I am not sure if to go to Antwerp (which I've never been to yet), or bomb it up directly to Amsterdam where my brother and Consti are waiting for me. Sooo I'll leave it here for today.
The point of these blogs is to lay some ideas down. They can be explored further at any time. In fact, if you want to chat about anything I've said here, or any other blog post pop me a message. I love reading your emails! What do you think? How deep are you into the prison? Do you judge others for being different and want to "correct" them into the status quo?
One love x
Ivan
This is me in Krakow's castle, stepping on grass when there is a sign that says not too. I had short hair here. This was in Oct 2020.
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