Self-Censorship Is Already Happening Because Freedom of Speech Can Make You a Target

Your tips are greatly appreciated! Upgrade at 30% offMy dad was one of those people who could never be wrong. This was problematic because it turned out he was wrong quite often. Those of us who lived beneath his authority learned that it provoked him when we pointed out his mistakes.For example, if he took a wrong turn on the highway, nobody was allowed to say anything until he noticed. We’d all sit there in silent agony as the car hummed along, eating up time that we weren’t inclined to sacrifice. We all knew he’d punish us worse if we mentioned it, so we had to stay silent and hope that he’d figure out his error.“Whoops, I have to turn around,” he’d mutter. We’d all breathe a sigh of relief but not loud enough so that he’d recognize he was the last one to figure out the truth.I lived with this kind of self-censorship for so long that it got into my bones. I can slide back into this routine when necessary as a matter of survival, but it grinds my spirit. Although I know it is possible to make slow progress when you’re stuck beneath the power of an autocrat, it’s better for humanity when mistakes are immediately acknowledged and corrected.This is why I appeal to people to find the courage to speak out when needed. What’s freedom worth when we submit to the expectation that we must bow our heads in silent obedience?The parameters of our social discussions are lackingToo often, potentially productive conversations are derailed by counter-arguments that don’t meet the minimum requirements of intellectual debate. One example can be found in the paradox of tolerance. Endless time is wasted discussing whether we can truly call ourselves “tolerant” if we reject the concept of hate.The word we should be focusing on here is “paradox,” particularly the meaning that emphasizes the absurd. Although there can be value in contemplating an apparent paradox in some instances, the concept can also be deployed as a thought terminating cliché. Too often we allow our social dialogue to accept the first counter-argument which derails any chance at a productive resolution. We can’t afford to permit that any longer. We have to be mindful to always offer the alternative perspective.It’s revealing that we don’t use the concept of a paradox to derail other arguments. For example, our citizenry knows better than to walk into a church and say, “If God’s all-powerful, can she create a stone she can’t lift?” Our authoritarian institutions already know to simply throw you out of the meeting if you make a statement like that. If you refer to God using the pronoun “she,” they’ll likely bring you back in so they can throw you out again.Using the concept of paradox to deny God is considered “disrespectful to religion.” But using a paradox to support hate speech is considered completely acceptable. That paradigm itself represents a paradox, but we already live in a society where our writers are often too cowardly to point it out.Don’t succumb to the influence of invisible boundariesAbusive relationships frequently discard the concept of “boundaries.” However, without boundaries, all you have is chaos. It’s absurd that our society lacks the education to recognize that even our most venerated concepts only work within an established framework.For example, we are taught to revere the idea of free speech. But free speech without boundaries is the most horrific concept of the world. Free speech without boundaries is how you get hate mobs crying for genocide. Free speech without boundaries is how you get unprovoked violence against immigrants, the impoverished, and the LGBTQ+ community. It’s fair to say that free speech without boundaries allows for the unchecked promotion of evil.Even worse, I submit that when there are no apparent boundaries blocking hate speech, it implies the existence of invisible boundaries which block protections for tolerance.Often I find that people are stunned when I insist there is no benefit to allowing hate speech. They’re quick to pivot to the extreme and accuse me of “hating” all forms of free speech. But all you have to do is look around at what’s happening in our society today. Powerful entities will go to the mat to defend the right of extremists to use social media platforms to promote hate ideologies. But where are the equivalent protections for groups that become the targets of hate ideology based violence?Effectively, we are conditioned to set an internal boundary that defends hate speech while accepting the consequences of hate speech as a necessary sacrifice that must be made in the name of freedom. But if a sacrifice is inherent, then why shouldn’t we agree to sacrifice the proliferation of hate?We have undefined boundaries that are too awful to recognizeI recognized something as an adult about the survival tactics I adopted as a child. Growing up, I learned to remain quiet to avoid attention and to avoid punishment. Consciously, I rejected the idea of boundaries and embraced the right-wing paradox that embracing tolerance would result in a denial of my individual liberty. But as an adult, I came to recognize that I was, in fact, working within a set of malicious and undefined boundaries.There are certain groups within the United States that become offended at the suggestion that this is a racist country. Racism denial is a viewpoint that’s difficult to understand especially when you look at the statistics on racial disparity. Dismissing racism as a root cause for these disparities is scientifically and morally irresponsible. But what’s happening is that individuals who deny American racism are operating in accordance with the conditioning of an undefined boundary.When I grew up, the undefined boundary was that my father could never be wrong. We lived by it, but we never spoke it aloud. Giving voice to that belief would have dismantled it, so we submitted to self-censorship so it might endure. That’s how censorship becomes a component of the mechanism of control. Naturally you’re not going to speak an argument you don’t even permit yourself to think.Don’t let the thought police control youIn the case of American politicians who deny racism, the undefined boundary is that the nation can never be wrong. We don’t speak this because obviously it’s absurd. Of course the nation can be wrong. All nations have their problems. But by being fixated on hysterical patriotism, we’re conditioned not to perceive the mistakes that lead to widespread social problems.Once you’ve forced yourself to live within an undefined boundary for a time, you lose your perception of alternate realities. You become fixated only on what’s possible within the parameters you’ve set for yourself. Things like life satisfaction and prosperity are dismissed as unreasonable dreams.You become like a child playing in a yard. You’ll live your whole life there and never venture out to see cities, or mountains, or oceans, or foreign lands. You submit out of a perception of comfort and security, but you end up squandering your entire life potential.You only get one life. Don’t waste it by lingering within hostile mental boundaries you didn’t even set for yourself. Those boundaries only exist because some malicious force has trained you not to notice them.Things don’t get better when you refuse to speak outGrowing up, all my energy was used covering up the mistakes of our dear leader. Then he took credit for all our successes. It was an extremely dissatisfying and inefficient arrangement. It only persisted because we weren’t allowed to discuss the injustice of it all. We were told we had to be “grateful.”Laying the groundwork to eliminate resistance is never in the best interest of the governed. I think that we’ve lost sight of that as Americans. There are some transgressions that we endure because we feel the act of resistance takes more energy than learning how to live with a relatively minor abuse.The problem is, one abuse tends to lead to another. The word “grooming” is often thrown about in our society. Encroachments on free speech represent an example. You’re being “groomed” not to offer any criticism. Then, when something truly egregious transpires, you’ll find yourself without a voice to protest.This is terrifying.Consequences are inevitable, you can only chose your sideYou can’t avoid consequences by remaining silent. By speaking out, you are empowered to chose the type of consequences that will befall you. I would prefer to endure the trials that come from standing on the side of truth and justice, than the consequences of the pathetic groveling that comes from a useless effort to placate bullies.Don’t choose cowardice because you think it will spare you from having to suffer. You’re going to suffer no matter which side you pick. The only comfort is that we have the choice to suffer for a cause that might bring suffering to an end, if not for us then for those that still have their lives ahead of them.Malicious forces train you not to question so you’re compelled to remain silent out of habit. You have to reject the captivity of comfort. Instead, be bold! Be an explorer! Crash the walls and embrace the uncertain and terrifying beauty of freedom.Grow a backbone, reject the idea of self-censorship, and speak truth to power. Life isn’t worth living if you’re forced to live a lie.You all make this newsletter happen! Thanks for your sponsorship! I have payment tiers starting at as little as twenty dollars a year.Upgrade at 30% offUpgrade at 40% offUpgrade at 50% offUpgrade at 60% offI'm so happy you're here, and I'm looking forward to sharing more thoughts with you tomorrow.My CoSchedule referral linkHere’s my referral link to my preferred headline analyzer tool. If you sign up through this, it’s another way to support this newsletter (thank you).I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe