we live in a society: the video

"I'm free and that is why I am lost" - Kafka

This video made me think that we really do live in a dystopia and it's more subtley existentially horrifying than anything in fiction.

I'd love to hear more about this connection between friendship and freedom, both linguistically and philosophically

I want to be free to bind myself; to attach my own chain and design my own limitations.

Sisyphus authoritarian arc?? 😍😍

It’s almost as though for most there is an innate reliance on interaction and being deemed as a good person so for that, we are willing to sacrifice our freedom to appear satisfactory in the eyes of the world

Personally, I'm so used to a rigid schedule and structure to my interactions with the world that sometimes freedom is jarring; it upsets me a bit that it feels like that. Not to say there's no joy in a more rigid life, it definitely lifts a burden when you know what you have to do.

Creativity is often born of constraint within a medium. But if that constraint is applied generally, it becomes restrictive. I do agree that most people don’t want freedom. It is too horrifying a thing to be able to do anything we want. Best to have to stick to the daily grind

Freedom is impossible. We exist within our bodies which have needs such as food, water, shelter. We work to keep ourselves fed and secure, to keep going until we can't anymore. To be free would be to reject life itself and seek enlightenment beyond human limitations

"Freedom signifies a relationship." Thank you for this commentary on freedom. Here are excerpts from the writings of Marshall Vian Summers on the topic of freedom. "Let me learn to be free so that I may join. Your independence from the past--past judgments, past wounds and past difficulties--gives you independence in the present. This is not to solidify your separation...but instead to enable you to join meaningfully in relationship. Let this be a tacit understanding. You can do nothing in the world without relationship. You can accomplish nothing; you can advance in no direction; you can realize no truth; you can contribute nothing of value without relationship. So as your independence from the past grows, thus does your promise for inclusion in the present and the future grow as well. For freedom is meant to empower you to join." (MVS, Steps to Knowledge)

Hey Sisyphus, would you consider putting the sources in the video description? Sometimes you mention a philosopher who I want to look up more on and I end up having to try and catch the name when you say it and I hope I spell it right in Google lol. Would be really helpful :)

This is by far one of your best works yet!! You fit so much into 12 minutes.

this is a SUPER interesting topic. thanks for covering it in such detail! The idea that every individual is their own slave/owner and how that plays into progressing capitalism is really crazy to think about! I also really love how simple yet sensible the analogy of our phones and social media being a new form of worship. quality video as always, thanks for helping me start my day off right :)

Great video on an interesting topic! I think the false consciousness created by neo-liberalism that we are the masters of out own destiny is an incredibly fascinating area. Definitely the book you have described seems to link to the idea that we ironically detach ourselves from our participation in capitalist society; it’s not even that we’re 100% brainwashed into believing capitalism is good, we are fatalistic about ourselves and our chance to overthrow capitalism as our own “personal project”. Because of this we continue to work within the system. It’s obviously a silly argument when right-wingers say things like “oh you hate capitalism but own an iPhone, hypocrite!”. However, there is a serious apathy towards attempting to change capitalism from those who are against it because they are necessarily constrained to participate within it just to subsist. I’d be curious to see how Byung Chul Han reacts to Zizek’s claim that buddhism is a vehicle for capitalism now, as the detachment from the self allows the individual to participate in capitalism without scruples.

I would rather have the choice to not be free than be forced to not be.

Thank you. Finally someone else also dares to question the concept of freedom.

I find the ideas in this video strangely hopeful, despite the bleak description of the human subject under neoliberalism. These ideas describe a specific historical situation - our own - and do not try to describe any sort of human essence. They pose the question - this is what neoliberalism has done to you, what are you going to do about it? The fact that this question can be asked is the opening hope needs. We live in history and the future remains unknown. Neoliberalism will not last forever, no matter what its devotees think. Can we choose something better? To answer in the negative ignores the very structure of this description of what binds us. There are no guarantees. But there is possibility.

As Han would say, build your empire girlboss

This video hurt because oppressed can be oppressivor without changing the system that we have. The neoliberal economic system is designed for competition against each other. Sadly, we need an human empathy to make a system for everyone.

This channel is amazing, everything as small as the neat basslines inserted into the Housecat's music to the super meta conclusions of a video.

really needed this today, will definitely come back to it when I feel like my art is becoming too dependent on "like comment and subscribe"

"real freedom scares you / 'cause it means responsibility" -dead kennedys

I've been following this political/philosophical Instagram account for a while that has, on more than one occasion, pointed out that in regards to work, spare time, and ties to local communities, the peasants of the ~10-15th Centuries had it a lot better than us living under feudalism than we do today in democracies. Farming itself did not take a 10+ person family 40 hours of working each week, communities were tighter, the Catholic Church had many feast days and combined with the kings kept society relatively well structured and peaceful (about as much as we can hope for today with high rates of crime and mass shootings, etc.), other than wars of course. This of course is a picturesque view of the medieval era and we are obviously much better off in terms of sanitation, medicine, and technology. That being said, it is interesting to consider that humans were had more of the "meaningful" freedoms and benefits of a closer-knit society under emperors and kings for thousands of years than modern humans living in small apartments and working 40 hours a week to break even each month.

Hope all is going well in your last year of schooling, dude. This video was one of your most insightful pieces to date.

Really glad I stumbled upon this channel. Most of your videos make me think a lot, and I feel that's a positive change on my side. Gotta say, that analogy of mobile devices as 'mobile confessionals' really hit home. There are multiple times where I read about certain things and then to show solidarity with them, I pressed like. It's like saying 'I am supporting such and such, therefore anyone who sees this act in their front page should recognize me as a good person'. Really interesting train of thoughts. I still pressed like on your videos, though.

Eren Yeager wants to know your location.

the structure of this video was really useful and clear, thanks ! i have a hard time with concentration but this was really to the point :)

new favorite KZfaqr! it brings me joy to watch worthy content creators grow

This was a great piece. Thank you for this.

This is amazing. Keep speaking truth to power.

This video is truly sublime

"Be your own boss, work for DoorDash"

Thank you for this video! You really put into a video some things ive been thinking about

Amen to you for this creation.

Ran into you on the sidewalk Friday man, nice to bump into you! amazing video :)

isnt it easier to just be a slave to something and live serving said thing than to live having the freedom to choose how to live, and thats how marketing is expertly utilised to make us a slave to our desires to sell their products. havent seen the vid yet this just came to mind

This video is so great! Very interesting insights

I loved (and hated) this video. Im reading a lot of things related from different autors, but with this video it kindda all just clicked together. Thanks ;)

I really relate to the idea of "being in debt to capital". I often feel like I've been born blessed and society has given me many things but I have not given anything back. I am in debt with society, ... and the only way to pay this debt is by working. (is how I often feel) But the problem is, I am an ADHD boi, I can't have schedules and I can't do the same thing over and over, both things are essential to creating a career. For this reason, I'm not generally useful as a tool to generate capital. I'm a burden to my family. (is also how I often feel) Should I accept my freedom, and liberate myself from the debt I have with the capital, Or should I find a way to pay my debt?

This was elucidated extremely well!

I say simply it is: choosing to do something yourself with no outside forces such as companies or individuals.

I think we want. We have never just allowed ourself to feel it

We are all free.. to exploit each other.. equally

I definitely cant play valorant and listen to sysyphus at the same time. BTW love this type of topic, we can even correlate to the american gods argument. We change our gods from time to time

just want freedom like a shopping cart. great video man.

digital masterpiece

Can you talk about what your background is/what you studied/ or what you do for work cause I'm astounded how you're so knowledgeable on all these topics.

this is a fucking great video. I got a lot of it and thoroughly enjoyed

One time I had a dream that I woke up and realized everyone was being drugged to basically be ignorant to “what’s happening” I stopped taking my pill , and anxiously tried to convince my family to stop taking theirs. Then I started running. I ran and ran, and I got over a barb wire gate. When I jumped the gate, I looked around and saw emptiness, fire, a dessert of nothing. I turned around to see security guards calmly welcoming me , to take me back home. It’s like they allowed me to see that there was no life beyond the one I was forced into. I can’t escape. I wondered what it meant for about a year. One day I realized that it means… despite whatever’s going on in the world, or the universe, I just have to go with it. To use what I have and make a life of it. Enjoy it, even if I have to take the pill of ignorance, and give up freedom. Because freedom is nothing beyond what we already know. A void. Ignorance is truly bliss.

I'll have to spend some time thinking about this.

I am fervently confused.

This is wild. Really deep stuff.

“Freedom is best described as an opportunity for self discipline” Some dude idk

But we cannot be truly free, we are constrained to the physical laws of our worlds. Even if we get rid of any mental constrain or debt, we are still trapped inside of a decaying body. Perhaps spiritual transcendence is the closest we can get to true freedom.

The short answer is "no". This immediately brings to mind "Why?" To which the short answer is "Complexity." Therefore, in the absence of being pressured to take on responsibility in order to retain freedoms that we enjoy we generally avoid it. This brings about the age old consequences of allowing such power to rest within the hands of a ruling class. When they take things too far people react with revolution which is always either squashed or becomes worse than the system that it usurped. On a long enough timeline people are going to have to learn that anarchy is the only solution but we need to be mature enough to not all kill each other when we get there. That's unfortunately impossible, it is kill or be killed out there, survival of the fittest and we didn't make the rules. We are basically nature's test subjects and she likes to watch us fight because it's how she improves herself.

No one really knows if they want freedom cause no one has ever really experienced freedom, and idt anyone ever will have true freedom. There will always something to bind us

I really want to hear your takes on Baudrillard after this

We know it but can't stop it. Sad indeed

I think that a lot of people want to have an illusion of freedom,but at the same time they are aware that they are responsible for bearing the weight of their own choices.If anything goes wrong,they have no one to blame but themselves and their own decisions.In my eyes,freedom is truly terrifying.It is unknown and full of potential.To not be shackled by others and your enviroment.That it why it is infinitely easier to just accept everything as it is.It is easier to criticize the misdeeds of society than to take active measures to change its structure.

Thank u its really good

Personally I'm fine with being free even though that means I have to take responsibility for my own actions because I think freedom is more valuable than being able to blame something else for my actions.

I have been living as what I would consider somewhat free for a couple of years now and I dislike it. I have dropped out of college two years ago and have been living quite freely ever since. Being quite privileged financially means that I don't have to work or find a solution to monetary issues. This whole time spent reflecting on what I want to do and what I want to be has been productive yet discouraging. Trying to find my place in this capitalistic system has taken a toll on my mental health. I have wondered if partaking in it was even worth it. I have wondered if my own interests even mattered in the grand scheme of things. I have wondered if I should rather choose a humanitarian job rather than one that pays well and that I like. The freedom I have had, the never ending time thinking has taken me to many places philosophically and spiritually. Being aware of all of these intricacies you cite in your video makes you feel powerless in front of this huge system. It resonated with me when you spoke of our self projects and blaming ourselves for the state of this world we cannot change alone. I believe our society has influenced us to become self involved, self serving and too individualistic. We all feel alone and small in the face of the many issues our world faces. I have often wished to have been forced by my parents into a certain career, I've wished of circumstances that would force me to do things instead of wondering what I am doing and why. This subject is incredibly difficult and fascinating to learn about, this video was amazing. You have opened up my mind to do even more thinking than usual.

People “want” to be free but don’t want the responsibility. They’ve been fooled into thinking they can pass off the responsibility to the government and continue to be free. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

another fantastic video bro

Maybe this only worsens my outlook on things. Peace be to whoever sees this, and may you find some reprise in this world.

No. I want a direction. I want someone to point and for me to feel like I’m expending my energy towards something with real meaning

Marx was really painting with a broad brush when we described the entrepreneur as someone who sees all relationships as instrumental. Though that may describe some people, my perspective is that having good relationships with people is a hallmark of success.

Cool, hell yeah, I enjoyed that. Shit's messed up when you think about it fr fr

Liberty and freedom are like free will: a convenient way to ablate the perception of oneself as a brief vessel, doomed to die. Our agency in this world is laughably narrow and ineffectual. We're on a ride we didn't buy a ticket for, and we are firmly strapped in our seats, keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times

Ima blob of particles that is aware that I’m just a blob of particles

Woaaah, social media as the new religion. That really got to me. I kinda want to go back to having an old nokia.

This is the kind of marxist eye opening that I seize the means of production to

Amen

As human from earth, I approve of this video.

You talk of the only signs of class antagonism being weak exclamations of platitudes but class antagonism goes both ways, mass austerity being legislated by governments to pay for recessions for example are extremely violent and destructive class antagonism from the top onto the poorest! From the other end just in the last few years we have seen the largest strike in human history (the Indian farmers against Modi's neoliberal reforms) and the most mass insurrectionary activity in the US in history (BLM) Love your videos and thought it worth mentioning!

Depends on what one wants to be free of? But there are certain things we just can't be free of.

I was that edgy teen you always mention when I was younger. But I think it was an important part of who I am today, its part of the reason why nihilism and Fredrick niches theory have become a big part of what I believe and who I am.

I just wanted to say thank you for these. I enjoy them so much!

Freedom from what is the question. There is no such thing as perfect freedom, in the real world gaining one type of freedom always requires sacrificing another. Being a loner frees you from the difficulties other people can cause, but takes away your freedom to form potentially good and fulfilling relationships. Quitting your job might free up your time but take away your freedom to afford things that make life more enjoyable, or to care for your loved ones. Achieving any difficult goal requires giving up much of your time and energy, but might free you from the pain of failure or regret of having never tried. Getting anything that you desire will always require voluntarily binding your existence in one way or another. To have total freedom from everything would be to have a totally empty life (which, knowing human nature, would ironically leave you bound to boredom and depression, so perhaps total freedom truly cannot exist). So the key in my mind is not to pursue the fool's errand of total freedom, but to figure out which specific things you are happy or at least willing to be bound by and which things you desperately want to be free from, then pursue a life that fits those priorities.

As one of the Ascended Masters once said, "Freedom's just another word for nothin' left to lose" Nana na nana nana nana na de da. Me and Bobby McGeeeeee

This channel is so fucking good

happy birthday to me! thanks sisyphus.

FREEDOM REQUIRES RESPONSIBILITY.

True freedom is chaos.

Amen.....

I find that work indeed instills the worth. It’s almost obvious any leisure we haven’t earned we can’t enjoy. See in my eyes it’s a virtue to be both owner and the laborer. to be the bearer of your own fruits. nothing compares to that, not even being a dictator.

This is awesome and I totally agree but how do I get out of it

One thing I want to be freed from is myself. I'm the worst enemy of myself. I hold myself back. I know full freedom in this life is impossible, but I just want to be beyond myself a little. And being that makes me happier. I don't want to die with regrets only. That's it.

from now on, i will refer to entrepreneurs as genital organs of capital

very proud to have known 3 of the plants

I do. Regardless of consequence

yes

judging by the title and your love of Camus, I clicked on this video candidly believing it would be about "The Fall"

Reminds me a bit of Erich Fromm's Escape From Freedom.

yes please

Excellent video

Is it normal that i don't feel motivated to do anything anymore after seeing this video

Just clicked "Amen" because the algorithm demands it.

Love it