It stems from the obsessive pursuit of efficiency by those around us. This kind of mental self-torture, aimed at avoiding psychological pain, ends up becoming self-inflicted abuse. Society offers us more choices, but it’s simply a shift from being exploited while kneeling in the past to exploiting ourselves while standing today. People appear to be in control of their own lives, but in reality, they are dominated by the responsibilities and obligations imposed by society.

The reason society can wield these two forces to control us, I believe, is because we have a desire to connect with it. Both the oppressor and the oppressed willingly take on their respective roles. Fulfilled desires lead to more desires, while unmet desires cause suffering. Exploiting oneself brings us back to an animal-like state. However, an animal’s desires are much purer than those of humans; animals seek benefits and avoid harm, but humans do not always follow this pattern. Human desires are manifold: the desire for wealth, for showing off, for recognition—most of which are driven by a need for self-satisfaction."