Docile or Activist Body?
Someone who is living in a docile body is probably someone who is always ready to accept control or instructions; submissive. This person possesses machine like characteristics, has a strict schedule, and is isolated in order to be controlled. On the other hand we have an activist body and this person campaigns for some kind of social change. This person unlike the docile is resistant, a rebel, and acts on instinct/emotion/passion.
Who would u prefer to be?
If you choose docile you are okay with following the laws and social norms. You live your life for the future instead of the present. You do everything staying in your and societies comfort zone. I can definitely put myself as an example of this because growing up they said in order to be happy you need to reach to the top, be successful, and only then you will be able to live happily ever after. I would only reach to the top by going to school and getting an education. So up until now I have done nothing but focus on school and always stay at margin with my actions and decisions. Everything I do is for the future. I am constantly worrying and stressing over hard times because I know I cannot make any mistakes.There is no time for mistakes because people like me with no good financial background has no second chance to get back up. I worry about things like not making it to the top and not being happy. Its weird because not being happy has become my constant mood. I am physically here but not living. School has become like the prison described in the article “Docile Bodies” by Foucault. It is like I’m living in a routine that I could never break, or at least that is what it feels like. I no longer know if there is an end to this. It has been years and years and it does not seem to get any smoother. I feel like I have no time to act out of emotion. I have done everything people expect me to be and do. I need to focus, or at least that is what society keeps trying to convince me is the right to do.
If you choose to be an activist you are the one who is resistant to the law and social norms. You are someone who lives day by day, present. You would be someone like Marsha Johnson who was a man who preferred dressing and acting more feminine. During the time Marsha lived he was never embarrassed of his uniqueness or differences to other men. This person used their differences to produce happiness, to give to others in need, and fight for equality, for justice. But we know having this lifestyle is a risk because you do not always win. Sometimes you end up sacrificing more than what you obtain in the end. For example, we have been fighting for immigration equality/citizenship for so long and instead of society agreeing with something we have people who hate immigrants and the rest who support it. Although it seemed like things were getting better for immigrants its has all gone down hill once again. This disagreement between the people has cost activists a lot because with different opinions the government has given and then taken away necessary action to help the immigrant activists. We continue to have kids who lose their parents and family. I for instance have lost my father due to his immigration status and sometimes I ask myself why do they not just stop people from coming into the United States to prevent these kinds of situations in the first place. Or pass the law for once because people are losing way more as time passes because no actions are being taken and they are putting their lives and savings on the table. As time passes illegal immigrants keep losing their jobs, keep losing their opportunity to their American Dream, and we keep seeing kids grow up without parents because deportation. So is the fight worth it? So is getting equality/citizenship worth losing it all, is that what we are choosing?
Reality is that you think you have free will to choose but this is how the system works.
If you choose to obey the law you are conforming and not living because all you do is obey higher power and if you are an activist you may either win or lose. Or that is what they are making you believe because technically activists lose either way. At the end of the day if you do win it is only temporary because it will be the new norm and there will be someone who will go against that norm, and things will change once again. If you lose you probably lost it all fighting for what you wanted.
Truth is you are not winning as any, docile or activist.
