Reflection on Escape from freedom
最後更新日期:2025年01月04日
What mechanisms of escape can you see taking place in contemporary society, especially among young people in Japan and Taiwan?
What resonates with me the most is how children study hard from a young age to meet the expectations of their parents and teachers, who play the role of authority figures in guiding them.
I would like to share my personal experience: when I entered middle school, I began to feel immense academic pressure, which put me in a constant state of high alert. On the one hand, I worried whether my behavior aligned with the school’s regulations; on the other hand, I feared that my words or actions might upset my teachers. This made me deeply reliant on authority because I regarded my parents’ and teachers’ opinions as unquestionable truths. To me, my status and that of my teachers were unequal—they were the ones in control, the ones in charge.
This kind of conformity closely mirrors Fromm’s concept of Automaton Conformity. At that time, I never questioned the goal of “getting into a good university” because I always believed that my parents’ and teachers’ expectations were correct.
This led me to start reflecting: if a person grows up under the influence of authority from childhood to adulthood, can they ever develop true free will? Or have they never realized that their choices were not truly autonomous? The most troubling thought is that some people may never realize that their will is an illusion (pseudo actions) and firmly believe that all their decisions were made freely and independently.
My father’s experience gave me a deeper understanding of this. He worked hard during high school, chose a field of study that society deemed valuable, and later entered the tech industry, where he earned a decent title and salary. However, when I asked him whether this was truly what he wanted, he admitted that he had never really thought about it and wasn’t sure if what he was doing now was really what he wanted.
I came to realize that many people in my parents’ generation were likely trapped in the kind of pseudo thinking and choices that Fromm described, though they were mostly unaware of it.
My generation, however, faces a different problem. With the rise of information, society and media increasingly encourage us to “be ourselves” and to chase our dreams. However, when we become aware that our past choices may have been influenced by authority, we experience intense anxiety. We begin to question not only our previous decisions but also what our true goals are. This process of self-discovery is extremely painful, especially when the future seems unclear, and this sense of being stuck and anxious, I believe, is a challenge faced by many in our generation.
This kind of anxiety is one of the core issues Fromm explores in Escape from Freedom.
Having freedom does not necessarily bring liberation, but rather, it can lead to profound loneliness and confusion.
Do you find Fromm’s insight about escaping from the “burden of individuality” to be applicable and relevant?
Yes, I believe that wanting to escape the “burden of individuality” is a very reasonable action. First, I agree with Fromm’s view that people are generally afraid of loneliness. The powerlessness and anxiety that come with loneliness drive individuals to give up their freedom, leading to compulsive conformity. If someone becomes part of an authority structure, they feel stronger, which helps reduce their sense of isolation. This causes individuals to gradually lose their original self, becoming like robots. Yet, despite this, they still believe they are free, because they see their submission to authority as submission to themselves.
Another important issue to consider is that making decisions on one’s own can lead to mistakes. However, if authority makes decisions for them, people feel more “at ease.” Even if the decision turns out to be wrong, the individual bears less responsibility because it was the authority’s decision.
During our school years, we strive for good grades; in adulthood, we continually chase success, earn more money, and seek greater recognition. We want better phones, bigger houses, and more travel opportunities. However, when we pause to reflect, the following questions may arise in our minds: “If I really get that new job, or buy the latest phone… what then? What is the ultimate purpose of all of this?” Such questions are painful because they challenge the foundation of all our actions. However, most people choose to avoid this uncomfortable confusion.
What’s most concerning is that when people share these doubts with others, they are often told, “You’re just overthinking things because you have too much time.”
In summary, I believe that escaping the burden of individuality is the choice of the majority in contemporary society. Especially in the age of rapid technological and social media development, this has deepened the control of Anonymous Authority over society. Many people believe they have more choices and freedom, but in reality, they are falling into deeper control. This kind of authority is more dangerous than any authority of the past, as most people don’t even realize they are being controlled, not to mention to question its legitimacy.
Moreover, the social atmosphere makes people feel that having their own thoughts and ways of living is unsafe, or they are misled to believe that once they achieve a socially defined goal, they will have more freedom to be themselves. However, many fail to realize that this is not guaranteed—just like getting into a good university may lead to even greater confusion afterwards.