The Illusion of "They": Who Really Holds the Power?
The Power We Give Away: Unmasking the Myth of “They”
The Power of Belief: How Our Perception of ‘Them’ Controls Us
There’s a growing chorus lately—a familiar refrain that seems to echo everywhere—blaming “they.” They are the ones controlling us, indoctrinating us, manipulating our every move, pulling strings from behind the scenes. They are the ones who have all the power, while we, the helpless victims, are just struggling to break free. This is the narrative we’ve been selling ourselves: the oppressed vs. the oppressors. The battle to resist their control has become a rallying cry. But let’s pause for a moment. What if this narrative, the very one we’ve embraced, is the trap?
What if we’re not really fighting against “them”—but against the idea of “them”? This story, so deeply ingrained in society, tells us that we are powerless unless we can escape their grasp. But here’s the kicker: What if the very belief in “their” power is what’s keeping us chained? What if the very belief in "their" control is the most potent form of self-indoctrination?
Think about it. The more we focus on “them,” the more we reinforce their control over us. We’ve conditioned ourselves to believe that by recognising “their” game and understanding how they operate, we gain power. It feels empowering to say, "I know their game; I’m not under their influence." But here’s the catch: that very belief—acknowledging their supposed control—still shapes our thoughts, actions, and sense of freedom. We’re not as free as we think. This understanding gives us nothing but a false sense of freedom. We think we’ve broken the chains, but in truth, the belief in those chains is the very thing that continues to control us. We feel trapped, yet we’re the architects of the very reality we want to escape. The power we think we lack? It’s the same power we’ve used to create this narrative of control and oppression.
The Enemy Within: How Our Minds Create the Chains We Blame on “Them”
Here’s the real bombshell: Is “they” even real? Or is the entire idea just something we’ve conjured in our minds to explain the chaos, the confusion, the discomfort we feel? Our minds are powerful—they create monsters out of thin air, then spend all their energy trying to defend against them.
Could it be that the greatest indoctrination isn’t the one imposed on us by some hidden force but the one we create within ourselves? We build the very walls that imprison us, then point to an invisible enemy as the source of our suffering. The mind seeks out what it wants to find. It focuses on “them” because it’s easier than facing the uncomfortable truth: the power we think “they” have over us is the power we’ve handed over to them.
So, here’s the deeper reflection: If we are so quick to blame “them,” what are we missing? What is it that we’re not seeing? In a world where reality is shaped by the stories we tell ourselves, who is really in control? Could it be that our obsession with “them” has distracted us from the uncomfortable truth that we are the ones who define our reality?
The harsh reality is this: We aren’t just fighting against an external force; we’re fighting against the very story we’ve created about ourselves. By focusing on the battle with “them,” we give “them” more power, not less.
It’s time to ask the uncomfortable question: What happens when we stop blaming “them” and start reclaiming the power that’s always been ours? What happens when we stop running from imaginary enemies and start facing the truth that we are the ones creating our own chains—and our own freedom?
Because here’s the hardest truth of all: Life isn’t about waiting for someone else to release their grip on us. It’s about realising that no one is holding us back—except for the stories we keep telling ourselves. We've been selling a narrative that 'they' are in charge, but the reality is, we've been in charge all along.
The eyes only see and the ears only hear what the mind is looking for. And that, is the REALITY.
