# Organizations of Oppression and Liberation By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-10-14 People organize for a variety of reasons. The first among these reasons is safety. It’s a cruel world out there. Sticking together, at least historically, has helped us survive. Beyond basic survival, there are additional reasons to form collectives. Economically, there is the ability to specialize through the division of labor that is afforded through organizing collectively. This results in increased productivity and performance. As a result, there is more stuff and leisure to go around. The existence and persistence of groups across cultures and time suggest that they tend to serve us well. If they didn’t, individuals would walk away and go it alone. In the main, we don’t tend to do this. We are social, and we derive psychological and economic benefits from our connections to each other. As we organize, then, it is important to examine if our organizations are ones of oppression or liberation. Conformity and fear are to be found under oppression. Authenticity and freedom are to be found under liberation. Solidarity can be achieved under either. Organizations of liberation can be profitable, but they do not seem to be the default. Without conscious work, organizations tend to exhibit oppressive tendencies. Humans look around for understanding. Humans look up for direction. Perhaps humans would be better served by looking inward to find the strength and resolve to move forward confidently. #### Related Items [[Organization]] [[Survive]] [[Economics]] [[Conformity]] [[Liberation]] [[Self-Improvement]]