Something that I deal with on a fairly frequent basis from my family are expectations that are not privy to my knowledge. I have the habit of doing the same to them and feeling justified in doing so without even thinking. This is a habit that many people have towards those who are close to them but it’s fair to say that we all hold it for each other as well. We have an idea of what the “right thing” is and oftentimes judge others and treat them differently for it. But what about when that “right way” only exists in your head. 

Phenomenology teaches that our subjective feelings of reality can feel absolutely true. This can imprison your mind and the way you interpret the world causing you to create stories for others, without knowing them at all. It can be very dangerous when a viewpoint is adopted by an entire group with very little wiggle room. The majority will alienate another group and imprison them within a specific standard. 

From the moment they are born people of all races, genders, sexual identities, etc are placed into invisible cells constructed by their environment. Society creates an ideal story for them telling them the right way to dress, the right people to love, the right way to live in general. These standards will often contradict a person’s entire reality. 

When they choose to live according to who they truly are, they go against the script. When this happens on a large enough level in society backlash is almost inevitable, first through microaggression and even culminating in legislative action. 

How do we dismantle societal imprisonment?

In phenomenology the solution for this is bracketing. This involves setting aside assumptions and standards that you hold for others and understanding that everyone’s realities exist on a spectrum. It may not be easy to understand someone but that shouldn’t be seen as an issue, It’s not their job to explain or justify their reality or their existence. It makes me wonder how a societal understanding and adoption of this concept would change the world.