63 thoughts on “Are You In Prison?”

  1. mmmhmm, many different kinds of prisons.
    Maybe that’s one of the chances taken when you develop a prefrontal cortex that can stack conception upon conjecture on top of preoccupation & sentiment. Are we contented with the prisons we build for ourselves? Some are, and they want you in there as well.
    As Stan Tenen says in a related way: “Philosophers study other philosophers who study other philosophers…” (or something like that)

  2. Reblogged this on The Homesick Nomad and commented:
    Let’s just tag this one on to the post about being a professional and all that. One of the most freeing thoughts for me in photography came from my “baby” sister. When I was commiserating about what to charge people, the fear of getting into other people’s way who make a living at photography in my hometown and the overall question: “am I good enough?”; she advised me to just take photographs and enjoy myself. Charge a fair price for my time and work and if people like my style, let them hire me for that and not because I had a great advertising campaign or because I stole other people’s clients. Since I have done that, I have had almost as much work as I can handle. I still don’t want to hurt my photography friends, but the feeling of having people ask you to do a senior portrait session for them or a family shoot because they have seen your work and liked it is a rush for me. Thanks for the great advise Sis.

  6. Our own personal fears can really be our prison! It’s sad to say it but the only demons we really have is the ones inside us. We are the only ones who can stop us. And I know for sure, I’m not getting in the way of my dreams anymore!

    Great quote and picture! 🙂

  8. I had a rather difficult prison which involved an ex who said things to my kids about me that were not true, but were things they believed (one did). In this case, it was like a prison because my kids were being held hostage in a certain conceptual sense. Despite what was true, the lie was believed…I mean, what parent would actually lie about another parent, hummm? Gotta be true, right? So in this way, I did become prisoner to what another thought and then said about me. I pray that truth will ‘out.’

  9. You risk losing your empathy if you don’t worry about what other people think at all, but I do try to limit my worry to only the people I know well and those that equally know me.

  11. So incredibly true ! Through my 20’s I was so worried about how I looked, came across to others and the way in which I spoke. …Now in my 40’s I realise just how this view on the world hampered my wholeness as a person. I was stifled by my own making.
    Now I am so chilled and I try to share with my two young daughters to just be themselves and not to ever worry about what others think. They will then blossom as beings x

  13. Not any more, although I used to be.
    My husband has frontal lobe dementia and I do not give a hoot what others think anymore as I am to busy living and making sure he has good care at home with me.

  14. I’ve never understood getting trapped in this prison which im thankful for. As long as we are courteous, kind as respectful to others feelings and oponions then we are all free to do whatever we like

    1. You Matt are, amongst other things, lucky to study a discipline that gives you…discipline, particularly of the mind. Most people have not found this kind of resource. That kind of control is not taught freely by parents or schools.

      1. I believe that parents can go a good way to promoting this kind of attitude personally and I admit that dependant upon location and otjer factors people dont all get the same opportunities unfortunately. All sports not just martial arts I believe help to bring about confidence. An interesting discussion 🙂

  17. It’s really difficult to leave the realm of valuing yourself in the terms of other’s opinions. It is literally painful. But once you do, you notice something happening that you couldn’t imagine before you made that choice. And once it does, you can’t ever go back.

  18. got out of that prison when I entered adulthood 🙂 The only opinions that matter to me now are those coming from my loved ones. 🙂 Just like a quote I once saw : people who judge, don’t matter, people who matter, don’t judge 🙂

  20. I spent so many wasted years trying to please everyone around me. Constantly wondering and fearing that people would judge me, hate me, talk badly of me. Then I gave birth.
    And I was set free. I am finally comfortable with who I am, what I do, what I say. I am a mom and my daughter thinks I am amazing, how I can argue with that?

    1. This is interesting. So motherhood changed you because she became your focus? Say you were doing the school run and you overheard 2 women gossiping about you, would you really not care – would your reaction be vastly different from before giving birth?

      1. The women at school talk about me all time!!! LoL !!! I’m ok with that.

        Maybe it’s age combined with motherhood. At this point I jots know who I am, I’m comfortable. Agree, disagree, like, dislike, that ok.

    1. Not sure I follow this Razielle. Care to clarify? Depending on on others is normal, human, community stuff and does not put you in the same kind of prison as revolving your whole life around others opinions for fear of what they might say or do, or the fear that they won’t like you anymore.

      You said, “If we still depend on others, and those others we depend on fears what others think, we too are prisoners,” – I should think that makes THEM the prisoner, not you. The one with the irrational fear (of anything) is the prisoner.

      1. Well, if we depend on someone, that makes us their prisoner. If that someone is a prisoner, then we’re prisoners of a prisoner. It’s really complicated

        I can clarify it more if you wanna go deeper to what I mean

      2. I actually do see what you mean. But I think that for example depending on my mother does not make me her prisoner. I think it is a matter of the degree of dependence. If you gave away all your independence (or it was taken away) by someone else, then I agree you are a prisoner.

  26. I love this…fear kept me from sharing about my near death experience for many years. It represents who I am, and I’m now sharing about who I am with others 🙂

  28. I have been set free from this prison, thankfully! As soon as I stepped outside of the confines of this prison, I met a man who has lived most of his life outside of it as well. Together we are enjoying a peace in our relationship that is only possible with two FREE souls joining together.
    I am determined to share this truth with people. You cannot ever please people, only yourself, and God.

  29. I used to be some five to eight years ago. I was not in prison but incarcerated. Yes it was that terrible. I am relieved to be out of that stinking cell now and helping others to break free too.

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