We can learn a lot from writers of the past both in the words they wrote and the meaning they hid between the lines. If you take a discerning look at human history, you’ll find it’s been extremely unusual for people to have the freedom to speak their mind. One could even argue we’ve never truly had that right.
If we look to works of literature, we will find any number of clever techniques for disguising the enduring truths that resonate within the human soul. These tactics are employed to avoid the unfortunate suffering that seems to befall those that dare to speak out against injustice.
Yes, it’s true that many writers become the victims of authoritarian regimes. But we shouldn’t neglect to recognize that some do manage to convey the essential secret they were put on this Earth to share. Some even manage to become so efficient at camouflage that they’re able to usher in a time of greater prosperity for all.
That’s the model we all must follow.
We can’t afford to succumb to despair
When you stop and make a rational assessment of your life, you are forced to recognize how very little is within our control. We are all mortal after all. We are all subject to sicknesses and slips and accidents, and any number of unfortunate occurrences. Presuming you will lose your head for speaking truth to power is statistically unlikely.
It’s prudent to take some precautions, but don’t become overwhelmed by fear. After all, what other choice do you have? In this life, all you can do is take the intensely burning flame of the present moment and use it to illuminate your best path forward.
You have to walk boldly in the direction of decency, even if it feels as if insurmountable forces are aligned against you.
Have faith in your guiding principles
I’m not a religious person, but I do believe in the power of faith. I have faith in my children. I have faith in the scientific method. I have faith in my most deeply held principles.
I would not sacrifice any of those greater aspirations in the hope that, through submission to cruel powers, I might be able to prolong my own existence.
I’d prefer to live a short life in harmony with my authentic self, rather than live forever in the torment of betrayal. The later sounds like Hell to me.
As you come to terms with your own approach to censorship and authoritarianism, it’s important to keep these considerations in mind.
The matter of protection
Over the last few years, I’ve made a concerted effort to write about ideas rather than people. As far as I’m concerned, there is no need to mention anyone by name. The truth is that much of what protects writers from legal challenges will also protect us from authoritarian overreach.
Don’t be specific.
A lot of the narratives that define our era are built on sowing the seeds of division. What that means is there is a deliberate effort to divert us from discussing concepts that would bring about universal agreement. Do not allow yourself to fall into that trap.
Don’t get diverted
It’s fair to say that we all want prosperity for our children. Now, I know there are those who will insist that some parents are abusive. But here we must pause and recognize that we’ve uncovered a self-serving and unhelpful argument. Pointing out statistically irrelevant details is a tactic designed to derail us from having a productive exchange of ideas.
I spoke briefly about faith. Part of our effort as writers is to manifest the reality we hope and dream might be possible. One of the things that we need to have faith in is that, in their truest heart, human beings can be decent.
If we surrender that hope, and we embark on our life’s path with the assumption that human beings are evil, we deprive ourselves of the opportunity to envision an era of universal harmony. We must instead have faith in the decency of our fellow human beings. If we can’t hope that such a thing is possible, then there’s no point in making any effort to support the advancement of humanity anyway.
Find agreement in the good qualities
Let’s presume that human beings are essentially decent. Let’s presume they want what’s best for their kids. Let’s presume they’re capable of both giving and receiving love.
With those assumption to guide us, we can look to the examples of our modern lives and presume that the acts of evil we find are consequences of our unjust times. These are the works of false ideologies that have transformed the innocent into brutal creatures of survival who are condemned to lash out at the philosophies and institutions that might save them.
Now you see the world as a tragedy rather than as a source of resentment. That, in itself, represents progress.
Human beings have been through this before
In my time as a student of literature, we often discussed the suppressed narratives hidden within the text. Metaphors are used to discuss injustices that rear up in the form of overwhelming power. Throughout history, writers have skillfully placed instructions in places that only worthy individuals have been able to perceive.
These breadcrumbs within the sands of time can make all the difference.
Yes, it would be easier if we could sit with our children and simply explain the truth of the path they must follow in grand detail. But if you’ve ever talked with children in real life, you’ll find they’re more entranced by mystery than they are by careful explanation.
The mystery makes the narrative compelling
In one sense, it could be argued that the powers of evil make the art of the storyteller even more enticing.
Writers cannot tell the truth about the pathway to prosperity and happiness as if they were lecturing on the basics of mathematics. Instead, we can only offer minimal support from afar. But I can attest from having grown up in an abusive situation, that something as small as a smile can fill you with energy beyond your capacity to imagine.
Words written by compassionate people, even if they have no apparent value other than pure escapism, can give you the strength and understanding to carry on. There’s a level of comprehension that can pass between like-minded individuals that defies explanation. In the same sense that you can have a special language with a parent or twin or romantic partner, you can reach into books and find familiarity with a writer who passed on decades or centuries ago.
They come to life again within you.
We hold these truths to be self evident
Most of us have had the experience of locking eyes with a stranger and feeling inexplicably drawn to them. No matter what you believe, you have to recognize that there are powers in the universe beyond our comprehension.
Energy passes between us and creates enduring thoughts that bring us comfort and give us a glimpse of the infinite. It’s by embracing this kind of enduring mystery that we can fortify our resolve to carry on.
I remember reading books and watching films as a child that changed the world for me forever. Whole new universes opened up to explore, and my fear was replaced with excitement bordering on euphoria.
It’s magic.
There are no frivolous fantasies
When you discover a way to communicate beyond the obstacles of language and proximity and even time, you provide fuel for the tiny, flickering light of hope that resides within us all.
The greater that light becomes, the better your chances of finding a way out of the darkness.
So, do not rage against the oppression. Instead, invite it to dance. Learn to speak words of defiance that resemble compliance. Tame the savage beast with your charms.
Hide your meaning in the space between the lines
Avoid the obvious declarations that allow oppressors to point at you and say, “Ah, you’re against us!” Instead, be entertaining, be playful, and have faith that the people who need to see your true message will understand. But most important of all, persist and protect yourself because we’re in this for the long haul.
Eras of oppression change like the wind.
We can shorten the amount of time that we have to dwell beneath the shadows of oppression by remembering that there are other people like us and that other people have come through these hard times before. If we resolve to follow our inner light and combine that light with others, we have the power to illuminate the world.
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