Satisfied Slave Syndrome: when we are grateful for the whipping

A youth without critical thinking is a youth without a future.

[...] the main problem of the slave is not in itself the various calamities he has to endure day after day because of his condition as a slave (...) but rather the matrix of thought that does not allow him to question his slavery. [...]

The syndrome of the satisfied slave is not a term included in the DSM or any other psycho-diagnostic manual. or any other psychiatric diagnostic manual.

I refer with this new concept to the set of symptoms presented by some people who, despite living an objectively miserable life, seem to be not only resigned but grateful for their existence. In this article I will try to explain some assumptions in which this defense mechanism occurs, its causes and its social and cultural context.

Physical or mental chains?

In the case of a given society, we could ask ourselves the following question: What is the worst thing that can happen to a slave?

One could answer that, without a doubt, the worst thing about life as a slave is, of course, the constant humiliation and degrading treatment that his or her condition as a slave entails. However, there would be another possible answer: the worst thing that can happen to a slave is to feel satisfied and even grateful for the life he has had to live and the treatment he receives. and the treatment he receives.

A society of adapted neurotics

This paradoxical satisfaction, typical of the adapted neurotic, does not reflect on the future and reduces the complexity of life to the immediate satisfaction of the daily routine. Although many contemplate this philosophy of life of carpe diem as a laudable display of adaptation and optimism, the truth is that it is yet another form of self-deception. self-deception. The cognitive trap lies in the fact that the satisfied slave progressively increases his resigned acceptance of his condition of slavea condition which, on the basis of hic et nuncends up passing unnoticed by the individual himself.

What defines a slave is not his physical restraints and his lack of freedom of movement without the express authorization of his master. He is not even defined by the whippings he receives.

Assuming the ideology of power

The problem of the slave satisfied with the blows and whippings is not the physical Pain they cause him, but the psychological predisposition to receive them. psychological predisposition to receive them and to naturalize the overkill of the powerful over him.

Consequently, the misfortune of the slave is not so much the situational forms that he suffers in his daily life in terms of physical mistreatment, but rather the assumption of the thinking of the powerfulwhich prevents him from questioning his state of submission. This leads to an uncritical acceptance of the conditions of life with a resigned passivity and no hint of determination to reverse his life. If we also add a perception of satisfaction with the treatment offered to him as a slave, the individual is condemned to live a miserable life. In this case, the chains do not restrain the body, but the mind..

The satisfied slave in today's society

It is true that, in today's societies, the struggles for social and civil rights have been cementing some laws that protect us from flagrant abuses such as chain and whip slavery. However, we still carry some vestiges of the slave system.

The current socioeconomic and cultural system imposes certain imposes certain values on us and exerts a continuous manipulation on the way we think.leading to the acceptance of some practices that clash with the basic right to think critically and autonomously.

The modern slavery consists in the fact that we attend without prior reflection to a series of family, work and social routines. In this frenetic day-to-day life, our ability to take the initiative in the face of extremely important issues such as consumption (what we buy and what for), fashion and fashion (closely related to the image of ourselves that we want to project to the world) and morality (those reflections that should guide our actions towards specific ends).

In between acriticism, passivity and carpe diem our mind stops thinking about certain things, which in the end means a passive resignation. passive resignation to the vicissitudes of life. In this way, just as a slave would act, and because of the learned helplessness that comes from a lack of confidence in our possibilities, we end up being mere spectators of a status quo. status quo that we believe to be ubiquitous and, therefore, in itself legitimate. legitimate.

Depressed and anesthetized young people

As written by Alvaro Saval in his article "Depressed youth or anesthetized youth?", the manipulation of our thoughts is shaping a fertile culture for power: it binds us to prejudices, slogans and stereotypes that paralyze young people in a present devoid of hope..

Although the 15-M movement awakened a large part of these young people anesthetized under the yoke of the uniform thinking of technocracy and presentism, the other half continues to inhabit a scenario in which uniformity of thought, precarious jobs and moments of leisure follow an identical pattern.

Without critical thinking there is no freedom

In these circles, any hint of independent thought or criticism of certain customs and practices is systematically vilified and excluded.. Thus, fear of thinking for oneself and self-censorship are the obstacles to escape the chains and lashes of modern slavery. Of course, the system profits from this type of thinking, propping up highly obedient individuals: precarious but productive workers, consumerists without criteria and, of course, uncritical of society and the injustices they suffer even without realizing it.

Adolescence is not only the stage in which our personality is consolidated, but it is also the time when our thoughts become structured. is the time when our thoughts are structured and we draw certain guidelines for our perception of the world around us.. The influence of the group on the adolescent is always a relevant factor when it comes to presuming the influence on uniform thinking or, on the contrary, on critical thinking.

Without critical culture, individuals are incapable of thinking about reality on their own. In this sense, existence ceases to be a journey in search of goodness, truth and happiness, and becomes an unreason.to become an unreason of mirages and stereotypes, whose appearance is dressed in the wellbeing that an imposed and assimilated thought gives us: all for not having the courage to overcome the chains of the slave in time.

Bibliographical references:

• Triglia, Adrián; Regader, Bertrand; García-Allen, Jonathan (2016). Psicológicamente hablando. Paidós.
• Ardila, R. (2004). La Psicología en el Futuro. Madrid: Pirámide. 2002.