Control mechanisms

Through the Noise: Reclaiming Our Essence in a Controlled World

In so many areas of life, enjoyment has become secondary to competition. Take sport, for example—what was once about joy, connection, and personal growth has turned into a race for recognition, status, and monetary reward. Out of hundreds of participants, only one walks away with a prize, and that pursuit has become so corporatized, so commodified, that the "spirit of the game" has all but disappeared.

The education system mirrors this imbalance. Designed not to nurture individual creativity or passion, but to instill conformity and train us to compete. True interests, innate talents, and wild creativity are often left unexplored, replaced by rigid structures that serve society's current needs—and more pointedly, its economic engines.

It’s a one-size-fits-all approach, where so-called “options” are simply paths laid out to feed the market rather than the soul. And after thousands of years of adapting to nature and surviving real threats, we now find ourselves trapped in an artificial cycle of competition—for jobs, for housing, for resources. Except, this time, we are the resource.

Religion

Belief systems, for all their potential to uplift, can also confine. Once a belief is accepted as absolute truth, the mind often closes to questioning. Introspection becomes limited. And yet many religious texts encourage seeking: “Ask, and it shall be given; seek, and ye shall find.”

But who are we supposed to ask? A priest? A guru? Or could it be that the answers live within us—that we’re meant to question, to explore, to uncover our truth with our own eyes and ears?

If we are indeed part of a greater force, then that force must also be accountable, just as we are. We are not separate. We are not less. And maybe the self-appointed gatekeepers of faith fear this more than anything.

Education Revisited

It’s often said that “history is written by the victors,” but maybe what we truly need is the history of the victims—told in their own words.

Aside from foundational skills, much of what we’re taught is not education, but programming. A method of preparing us to take our place in a cycle of exploitation, where human potential is mined as thoroughly as any natural resource.

Like any narcissistic relationship, those in power view the population through the lens of utility. Our value is calculated from the moment we’re born. What better way to shape that value than by molding young minds before they’ve had a chance to discover who they truly are?

Nationalism and Patriotism

These too are tools—control mechanisms dressed up as pride. They narrow the field of thought, suppress diversity of perspective, and rally the masses behind whichever ideology is in favor. It becomes less about genuine connection to a place or people, and more about obedience to a narrative.

Often, these mechanisms work in tandem with others—education, media, religion—each one reinforcing the other, weaving a web that’s difficult to step outside of.

Ownership

From a young age, we’re told we must acquire property. If we can’t buy, we must rent. And when we do manage to “own” something, we rarely own it in full. The banks and the state maintain control—reaping the majority of the financial benefit over decades of repayment and taxation.

Even beyond housing, we’re funneled into dependence on systems—utilities, services, subscriptions—each one locking us further into a network that demands our labor and our money just to survive.

And those who attempt to escape this matrix? They’re met with obstacles, ridicule, or worse.

Personally, I believe land should be shared. Coastal spaces, open fields, estates—they should be for the people. Free access for recreation, small-scale farming, community living. This shouldn't be a radical idea—it should be the norm.

Media & Entertainment

Technology brought with it a new era of indoctrination. Television and the internet have evolved not only to inform or entertain but to manipulate culture and perception. Narratives are twisted. Heroes are labeled villains. Whistleblowers become pariahs.

The media, at its worst, directs the mob’s anger wherever it pleases. It creates false enemies, stirs division, and silences dissent. It feeds the illusion of choice, while steering the collective emotion toward outcomes that serve hidden interests.

Final Thoughts

I didn’t write this just to list control structures—we all sense them, even if we don’t always see the full extent.

What I’m asking is: Who would we be without them?
How do we reclaim the life that was meant to be ours, before the noise and distraction took hold?

Some have tried to live outside the system, but it’s not easy. The conditioning runs deep. We’ve grown attached to our comforts, even when they chain us. We defend them, protect them, and reject anything that threatens their existence.

But beneath all of this, there’s still something real. Something eternal. And all I can offer is a voice—a thought, a feeling I’ve been carrying for a long time. Maybe this isn’t a simulation. Maybe we’re just disconnected from the real thing.

The mechanisms are in place. Whether you see them as sinister or simply normal, that’s your call. But every civilization either transforms—or ends. Nothing stands unchanged forever.

So please, invest in yourself. Tune into your own thoughts, your feelings, your essence. You are part of something greater than any institution, any narrative, any material success. Your soul isn’t a transaction. It’s infinite.

Try to see yourself not as a role, a name, or an avatar—but as light. Practice this enough, and maybe, just maybe, the noise will fade. The power games will dissolve. And the truth—the absolute truth—will finally come into view.

Thanks for reading.