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Oppression comes from the Latin , which means “pressed down”. 

#### Oppression is _the  act_ of imposing  severe restrictions on an individual, group, or institution.


_Oppression is defined as:_
 
###### 1/ An unjust or cruel exercise of authority.

###### 2/ Something that oppresses, especially in being an unjust or excessive exercise of power.

_Merriam-Webster dictionary_ 

The concept of what oppression _is_, does not answer the more important question of :
 ##### What is the reason for oppression? 


When governments,  political organizations, (or any group)  that are in a position of  power , places  restrictions  on other groups _(covertly or overtly)_  in such a way  that the distribution of resources is unfairly allocated , then it  means that power stays in the hands of those who already have it . 
A state of status quo, as it were.

### This is oppression.

Oppression occurs when individuals are systematically subjected to political, economic, cultural, or social degradation simply because they belong to different social groups, religions, or ideology -  which then  results in structures of domination and subordination and - by extension - emerging ideologies of 'superiority' and 'inferiority'.


All forms of oppression - domination, exploitation, and subjection - are presented _by the perpetrators_ as natural and normal realities that cannot be avoided. 
***(_"code is law"_ , anyone'?)***

For example, oppressors presented to the oppressed that colonialism and slavery were 'things of God’s will',  and thus part of the natural order.

Oppression does not suddenly stand up and present itself as the crime against humanity that it is, - Instead,  it tries to show itself as the natural order of things. 
Oppressors _gaslight_.
_Gaslighting is a form of psychological manipulation in which a person or a group covertly sows seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or group, making them question their own memory, perception, or judgment_.
wiki


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Not only that, but the oppressed are then _demanded to believe_ that their suffering is totally normal, and nothing can be done about it.
If there are any dissenters to that _demand of belief_ , they're then presented as 'the troublemakers'.

#### In other words,  oppression ONLY BECOMES TRUE  when it is 'accepted' by the oppressed.


An interesting observation has emerged from studying oppression in African societies:

##### Oppressed people tend to become the oppressors themselves. 

_i.e ....The bullied child then goes on to becomes the bully_.



Psychologists call this phenomenon 'externalized oppression'.
i.e - the oppressed projects and then passes it onto others. 

This can represent itself in  many ways.

The overbearing , angry husband, might oppress his wife at home and then  be  a subservient sheep in the office, at work.
Does that sound familiar with yourself, or someone you know well ? 
It may well do.
Why?
...Because it's a very common dynamic.
Statistically speaking, more than 300 people on this platform, right now, will have  experienced - and observed - this behavioral difference in their spouses when in the domestic setting and in the work environment.
It is _not_ gender specific.



People that walk around  _demanding to be feared_ , are the very same  people whose personalities are ones _based in fear_ - mostly  from unresolved childhood issues.
***(threats of being downvoted to oblivion, anyone?)***

### Stockholm syndrome.

Sometimes ,  oppressed people do not to hate their oppressor at all  -  but instead  _admire them_  and even  _want to be like them_.
***(I'll be an whale soon, anyone?)***

They see their oppressors in action, and then go on to want to do _exactly_ what the oppressor does. 
They become oppressors in their own right and so the cycle continues.


### Internalized oppression:

Oppressed people often feel  dehumanized by the abuse that they suffer. 
The result of this is that they live in a perpetual state of low frequency misery  and then, later on ,  come to hate themselves for their condition. 
_They blame themselves  and  not the oppressor_.
***('I need to be careful how I express my truth', anyone?)***
...They lose their self esteem, self confidence,  and can eventually, find themselves  totally empty inside. 
These people can become depressed,  and even suicidal. 

They become the living dead. Zombies.
They walk about but have no 'spark of life' inside them. 
Being a wage slave  or debt slave  IS oppression.
Being a willing wage slave or debt slave IS Stockholm's syndrome.


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###### Some  oppressed people do not blame themselves _or their oppressors_ -  but other people entirely.

They target those that _do_ dissent as being the problem.
Those that _do not_ submit to the oppression , are seen as _the reason_ for the oppression in the first place !





The oppressed can _easily_  become the oppressors . 
_Being the oppressor can be a very attractive proposition to those who've once been oppressed   as  the position of oppressor comes with power and privilege._
***('let's decide the fate of that account', anyone?)***

Weak minded people tend to support the crowd - gather around oppressors for their own protection and comfort. The sycophant.

#### It takes courage,   and character to oppose and confront oppression. 

You can be a man that stands, or a mouse that scurries, but you can't be both.
Many _try_ to be both.

....It's very interesting to observe individuals that are _very conformist_, love authority (the oppressor) and   sufferer from Stockholm syndrome.
They try incredibly hard to express - project - the opposite of _what_ they are in real life.
A mask of shame? 
Maybe.
The guilt of playing small, and the shame of wearing a mask, comes with a heavy  price.
Delusions, poor health, and an unfulfilling life. Spiritually empty, they  often try to compensate for it  by the love of _material things_.

#### To enable oppression is to act small - and to be enabled by it - is also to act small.
It's  the easy way out  for the cowards to reconcile their own internal  weakness and fear of action against 'the authority'. Against the oppressor.
***('if I upset the whales, I'll be punished', anyone?)***


###### Most people choose the easy way out - of seeking and finding their own comfort zones within the cycle of oppression.

### Liberation from oppression.
...if it is a _true liberation_ , it does not seek a 'revenge oppression' , it creates a whole other reality.
Revolutionaries offer to not only free themselves from oppression - but go on to try and free the oppressors themselves.
***('I'm trying to help', anyone?)***


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Oppression is a cancerous psychology that is transmitted like a disease all through society.

#### True personal liberation  is the vaccine. 
Both for the individual, and for those _already infected_.
***(I'm trying to help, anyone?)***