Zombie human

What do you think of the following ideas?

An ant becomes a ‘zombie ant’ when it’s infected with a fungus, which hijacks its head and limbs, making it perform actions to benefit the fungus. What if the same could be said of humans? A human becomes a zombie human when it’s infected with ideas and beliefs that are contrary to its own natural urges, desires and wellness. These ideas further the interests of other people, institutions or systems – such as parents, friends, education, work, police, merchants, governments, the authorities, etc., etc., – rather than those of the individuals themselves.

What if people are educated at school on how to be good for the economy rather than for the good of themselves?

What if people are so disconnected from themselves that they can be made to buy consumables under the false pretence that they’re achieving the very essence of happiness?

What if people are so easily tapped into psychologically that they can be manipulated to vote against their own interests?

What if people are suffering from learned helplessness because they have so little control over their lives that they’ve all but given up on themselves?

What if people don’t really understand themselves because they’ve never had the opportunity to understand themselves, because it’s not considered important?

Unless you’ve undertaken training to be a counsellor, where personal development is keenly explored and scrutinised (to ensure you don’t dump your unresolved baggage onto your clients); unless you’ve read tons of self-help books; unless you’ve undertaken counselling as a client and come out the other end… where else are you going to spend any length of time working out how you tick and how you might tick for the better?

Where would you place yourself on the spectrum between being a zombie and being awake and free-willed?