Session 2

What do you do when you are savaged by the imperatives of the collective?  one is left with a few options

Acquiesce, but to do so would be to abandon all that you are in favour of an idea you couldn't possibly hope to live up to. Its formless, ever-changing and primarily one-sided and as you are ripped apart by its many demands, you lose yourself to it, completely culminating in a painful existence, drawn out. The nihilistic sentiment brewed by this construct inevitably leads to a desire for the destruction of all those who fostered the pain, including oneself. It is a life of total and complete failure. 

The second option is to resist, sometimes violently, but even the quiet ones inevitably succumb to the destructive tendencies of the collective. Still its a far better fate than the former, at least you don't go gently into that quiet night. In some cases, transforming the collective can happen since individual intuition can overcome fear, ignorance and oppression. Tyranny is of course favoured by those who seek to maintain the status quo yet without any realisation that their stagnation is their inevitable demise. This requires courage, and a fair deal of endurance, a rare quality amongst those of us who have lived in the shadow of the collective for too long that we are programmed to subsist. These are the ones who change the world, especially if the principles you propose favours the individual. 

The final option is the to compromise, and exist between the two, at least it affords you the security of the collective all the while, shaping yourself as an individual. It's an intricate dance, very few can master and in many cases. This is the ideal place to be as it serves to put you in charge of your own while considering the needs of the collective. The challenge seems to come from being able to manage your resentments all the while appreciating the needs of the mass. It's a dance that can yield several benefits and requires a strong understanding of people on an individual level. We all are part of this collective consciousness and are as such subject to its intense pressures. The critical aspect of this approach is to consider oneself first as the most important benefactor of any interaction. Strive to find the opposing view if possible, it often requires a dim light of humanity, as animals first before people, doing so will give you some manoeuvrability over their tendencies to lash out when provoked. 

It is tough terrain, one must cultivate faculties that run contrary to their nature, and the consequences can be severe at least for a time if improperly executed. It behoves one to be fundamentally concerned with oneself and well being.