On Tyranny - Lesson 14: Develop a Private Life

 Lesson 14 of 20 from the 20th Century On Tyranny: develop a private life; keep your secrets secret

Snyder thinks to political theorist Hannah Arendt's opinion on totalitarianism as a deletion of the line between personal and public lives. Arendt suggested that our craving for the exposé of secrets was a political threat to society. Not only do salacious secrets provide weak spots for individual manipulation, they also create whisper mills in which conspiracy theories can fester. We become less concerned with facts and more intrigued by the dark corners where hidden realities offer convoluted explanations for often simple matters.

Tyrants will exploit opportunities to embarrass or blackmail you into line. It may go without saying, but if you've got skeletons in your closet, things that you'd prefer the world not to know, keep that information secure. Understand the vulnerability of information stored online, and keep your devices free from malware. Texting has apparently been lacking in security for years, most recently acknowledged by the FBI just this month. Consider using encrypted apps or having private conversations in person, instead. 

It's easy to be wholly unconcerned with your own privacy; at least it is for me. I've long considered my life too boring for Big Brother to show any modicum of interest. I don't care if the government knows I had spaghetti for dinner for the 9th week in a row, or even that I'm joining my local municipality. But there are times when it does matter. Were you at that protest that was cracked down on? When was your last menstrual cycle? What organizing efforts have you been involved in to advocate for equal application of the law or abolition of police and prisons? When you're involving yourself in politics in a material way like the last lesson suggests, things can quickly become a bit more sensitive. I know it sounds extreme, but we have to be prepared to face the extreme. Worst case scenario, the most extreme doesn't happen but we were prepared for it anyway, right?

Rather than leaving our entire lives out in the open to be used against us in any way possible, we should be strategic with what we present about ourselves to the public as a whole. More time offline would probably do most of us a lot of good. And not only should we protect our own privacy, but the privacy of others as well by encouraging our friends and loved ones to make similar considerations, and by supporting organizations that advocate for human rights. The surveillance state may be stronger than we realize, but that doesn't mean we should roll over to its power without consideration for the consequences.