Break the Status Quo
You Are Better Than This
Welcome to the YouTopian Journey. Each week I will be sharing unique wisdom that can help you in the daily battles that we must all fight in the game of life. This week we discuss why you must break the status quo.
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Now onto the good stuff.
THE STERILITY OF THE STATUS QUO
“The organization man has lost the capacity to disobey, he is not even aware of the fact that he obeys. At this point in history the capacity to doubt, to criticize, and to disobey may be all that stands between a future for mankind and the end of civilization.”-Erich Fromm
We live in a society that values freedom. Freedom of thought, religion, and most importantly, choice. However, when it comes down to executing on this freedom of choice, we are met with resistance. This comes not only from strangers, but from our authority figures, peers, and even our friends and family. We are met with blank stares, dull looks, and uncomfortable silence. This is usually followed by a combination of the following idioms for your benefit.
Don’t rock the boat.
Be a team player.
Play it safe.
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
Welcome to the status quo and the countless multitude who support it, both consciously and unconsciously.
Forget if you have other ideas, we follow a code and you must follow it as well.
Forget about your dreams and plans, they are too big for someone like you to accomplish.
Forget about forging your own path, the line starts here and you should reserve your spot before it becomes longer.
And if you harbor any doubt or other ideas, you better keep it to yourself, lest you draw the ire of your peers.
It is no wonder why so many are lost, with spirits demoralized and dreams destroyed. They have become prisoners of the status quo. The power they possess, real power, has been reduced to nothing more than a fantasy.
Why?
Because the status quo is the definition of sterility. It is a celebration of obedience, where the individual mandate has been replaced with the organizational and societal code. The pressures it provides is enough to deter the strongest of wills and the most stubborn among us. If you let it, it can deter you from achieving your greatest triumphs.
Do not let this happen.
Understand that the status quo is no place for you. Your goals and dreams are legitimate, regardless of how crazy they may appear to others. And while you may not realize it, you have power to execute on them, regardless of what the status quo may be.
“The most damaging phrase in the language is: ‘it’s always been done that way.’ ”-Grace Hopper
Realize that the status quo is for the multitude who want to stay in their lane whereas forging your own path and breaking free is for the rare and bold individual. Paradoxically, this is not what society wants but what it truly needs. The status quo is nothing more than a sophisticated façade. The way things are does not mean that they are the way things should be.
You can change things.