# Working Through Systems of Oppression By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2023-11-16 What does it mean to work “through” a system of oppression? What it means to work “in” a system of oppression is clearer. Simply, one is being oppressed, and that oppression will persist while one is working. But is it possible to work through a system of oppression? Can one effectively use being in that system to liberate oneself from it? The short answer is that it is potentially possible. Whereas it is possible, it is certainly unlikely. Many elements and dynamics exist to perpetuate the system and one’s subordination to it. To work through it, one must have a strategy and discipline. Without these two things, one’s habits and innate biases will likely keep one within the system of oppression. The key to this dynamic is that any rewards from within the system of oppression are designed to keep people from joining together in solidarity. They are designed to pacify, not liberate. If one uses the system’s rewards as a means of liberation, one must use them in atypical ways. This is not simply hard to do because of habit, culture, and cognitive biases. It is hard to do because consuming the system’s rewards at the moment provides a momentary reprieve from the drudgery of the system. The system of oppression is designed to perpetuate. Liberation from that system is not a designed outcome. It is a glitch. Working through the system is the only way an individual can potentially free oneself from its tyranny. Dismantling the system of oppression requires solidarity and unified action. If these are unlikely, the best one can do is liberate oneself and share insights that might help others do the same. #### Related Items [[Organization]] [[Oppression]] [[Liberation]] [[Power]] [[Freedom]] [[Rewards]]