Day 101: Rules

Newborn babies are truly free. It's sad that the freedom we experience only lasts an instant, because from the moment we open our eyes for the first time, we begin conforming to external and begin to impose on ourselves internal rules. And that's it, from that moment until the moment we die we are shackled by chains sculpted and forged by ourselves, for ourselves. We are in constant check of ourselves, fuelld by an (often) distorted sense of right and wrong; because we acquire our sense of morality from others (parents, guardians, teachers, peers, friends). We spend so much time and expel so much energy subconsciously conforming; in an endless, drab cycle of doubting and questioning, thinking about our choices, analysing every minute detail of our lives, making sure we follow the 'rules' to give ourselves a sense of pride; to tell ourselves that we're good people, to be liked and accepted by others, to keep ourselves safe in the knowledge that what we're doing is (supposedly) right. This is why we conform. This is our drug of choice; our common vice.