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Making Hell Inhabitable

Well…that’s a title. Isn't it? Props to you for opening up this post. 


And hello. That too.


This week's topic came from something very specific. I was reading 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne when I stumbled across a profound bit of dialogue. (Chapter nine, if anyone wants to fact-check it later. Page numbers vary by translation.)


The exchange came between two characters, Ned Land and Professor Aronnax, recently imprisoned inside the Nautilus (a cutting-edge submarine). After arguing for hours, Ned goes quiet, and then offers this insight to his fellow shipmate:


 

"So, Professor Aronnax," [Ned] continued after thinking for a few seconds, “you haven’t figured out what folks do when they can’t escape from their prison?”

“No, my friend.”

“Easy. They fix things so they can stay there.”

 

"They fix things so they can stay there…"


I mean, that’s a single-sentence newsletter if ever there was one.  

But we're overachievers––I mean rethinkers. So let’s dig a little deeper.


Turtle beneath the waves
Photo by Naja Bertolt Jensen on Unsplash

A quick note before we continue: If you're anything like me, when faced with topics like this, you tend to think of your biggest problem and try to tackle it. A friendly recommendation—don't. For the remainder of this *Re-Thinker, think of a hell, but preferably not the most intimidating hell you've got. Maybe it's the stack of papers you've been meaning to get to. Or the pile of dishes. That'll do.


A second quick note: In the context of this story, Ned and Professor Aronnax are genuinely stuck. Like...beneath the surface of the ocean kind of stuck. For this newsletter, I'm focusing on hells we can leave. That's a big ol' caveat.


Now, back to the topic you all have been waiting for...

Making hell inhabitable.


Stacks of dirty cups
Photo by Izz R on Unsplash

I have to start with the obvious question:

Why would we make hell inhabitable?


Some thoughts...


1/ It's easier to furnish a prison than it is to leave one.

We crave the known. We hate the unfamiliar. It isn't anything personal. It's just that––it's unfamiliar. And we'll always take a familiar hell over an unknown haven.


2/ We often find community in prisons.

Never mind if the community is healthy––it's there. And that's alluring because at least in our inhabitable hell, we don't feel alone.


3/ We're afraid of admitting we're in a bad spot.

Guilt ("I've done something wrong") and shame ("I am something wrong") come flooding in. They aren't pleasant. And regardless of whether we "deserve them" or not, rather than face them, we'll furnish our prison.


Barred window
Photo by Eduardo Balderas on Unsplash

Now, my next question...

What happens to us when we stay in an inhabitable hell?


1/ We go numb to its effects.

We normalize and adjust to our surroundings. And even worse, we can become protective of hellish spaces, often encouraging (if not outright demanding) others stay put.


2/ We atrophy.

Too afraid to grow, too scared to come to terms with where we are, we wither away. And know this: Once you've atrophied, it takes more out of you to resist the hell you've furnished than if you'd left in the first place. (In case you need another reason to go ahead and get moving.)


3/ Your settling hurts others.

If you're a leader, the people beneath you suffer when you settle for a hellish situation. If they aren't stuck with you directly, you're still vicariously modeling settling. And they're taking notes.


Damaged door
Photo by Denny Müller on Unsplash

So. On to my last question...

What happens when you decide to leave an inhabitable hell?


1/ You won’t think it’s worth it - at first.

Resistance comes when you try to leave an inhabitable hell. Know this: pressing through the pressure is worth it. (And some of that "pressure" may be the fatigue of atrophied muscles, referenced earlier.)


2/ Long-term, you'll make progress.

Day to day, it’ll feel like you’re ping-ponging, but your ultimate trajectory is forward.


3/ You’ll discover fellow settlers and fighters.

Some people around you will get angry when you choose to leave what they've chosen to settle for. AND when you leave anyway, you'll discover other people who have also left their inhabitable hell. And y'all will bond over the experience. It's a thing.


To close this out, I guess we all owe Jules Verne a long distance(?), thank you. This was a heavier topic, but a good one.



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