How the tyrant shuts down conversation.

In this post I want to write about my own personal experience with a narcissist and how I see parallels between that and the authoritarianism we see in government.

I wonder as I write this if sub stack will also be monitored to the same extent as social media platforms where police are arresting people for their posts and “retweets.”

I grew up in a stifling environment. That’s easier to write than it is to say in person. I am an honest person but I can go to dark places in my writing. Face to face, I don’t feel it’s appropriate or I worry that I’ll alienate who I’m talking to.

We weren’t allowed to speak freely growing up. From the outside the environment looked fine and in fact idyllic. However, dissenting dialogue whereby you can sit at the kitchen table and discuss all matters including personal affairs was hugely frowned on. When that happens you learn quickly as a child to find other outlets. For me, writing allowed me to express myself.

Twenty years ago social media was alive with dissenting dialogue. It still is to an extent but there’s a watchful eye over all dissenters. As a result there’s growing frustration. I have not seen the level of anger on a local page discussing affairs that I saw recently. It’s foolish and dishonest to assume that this anger is all online, in fact we see in the streets that it is not.

So when a person feels at a loss, when they want to reach out for some support, when they seek answers, if not for dissenting and inconvenient dialogue, where does one turn? Sometimes family don’t want to talk, they find it too upsetting. I myself don’t want a therapist. I literally just want to talk like I used to twenty years ago.

The very human need of communication is often what keeps us going. I mean, that’s actually an understatement. I think it’s one of the ultimate things that keeps us going.

Some will tell me; find religion and pray. Some will say; go out and touch grass. The latter I do but they assume it’s me with the problem. Maybe I’m too vocal but then how do you explain the levels of frustration in the streets as well as online? I have to reiterate from previous posts that I don’t condone riots and I’ve never been an activist or rioter.

I just think that shutting people up by not allowing conversation that doesn’t align with the government’s clamp down on criticising mass immigration, the threat of Islam and infringement of women’s rights in sports is the very tactic employed by a tyrant. Be they a narcissist or an authoritarian, shutting down conversation is not only un democratic, it gives rise to further problems.

I find it deeply unsettling and I wonder what others feel or think. Like, what is the point if you can’t have dialogue? That’s something that people living in dictatorships escape from.