Are We Liberated or Controlled? Dr Shabir Choudhry, London, August 2026.

 

Are We Liberated or Controlled?

Dr Shabir Choudhry, London, August 2026.

We like to believe that we are free and liberated human beings. But are we really? It is worth asking ourselves an uncomfortable question: Are we truly independent, or are we living under systems of control that shape almost every aspect of our lives?

Think about our daily lives. If we lose our internet connection, we suddenly feel helpless. We lose contact with the outside world. We cannot easily communicate with our friends, relatives, or even our wife, husband, and children. A single interruption in technology can isolate us within minutes.

But control goes much deeper than technology.

Our thoughts and opinions are constantly influenced by others. What we read, what we watch, what we believe, and even what we buy are shaped by media, advertising, governments, corporations, and social networks. Our preferences are studied, predicted, and often manipulated.

The way we behave, the way we dress, the way we drive, the language we use, and even how we present ourselves to society are influenced by social norms and institutions that we rarely question. We often think we are making our own choices, while many of those choices have already been shaped for us.

We believe we are independent individuals, yet our lives are regulated by laws, financial systems, digital platforms, economic forces, political structures, and international power relations. Those who control information, trade, technology, economics, and politics exercise enormous influence over the lives of ordinary people.

This does not mean we are slaves without free will. We still make choices, but many of those choices exist within boundaries created by others. Freedom is often more limited than we imagine.

Despite all this, it is comforting to believe that we are independent and free to do whatever we like. Perhaps the greatest form of control is convincing people that they are completely free while their choices, attitudes, and behaviour are quietly being shaped behind the scenes.

The real challenge is not simply to claim that we are free; it is to recognise the forces that influence us and to think critically before accepting them as our own.