Bondage: BODIES & BOTS #27

Yeah…it’s a provocative and potentially inappropriate title.

I’ll find out just how much by tracking my clicks and unsubscribes. But here goes….

This week’s theme in my HOT SUMMER OF 70 series is FREEDOM.*

I was inspired by watching my grandkids enjoying their summer vacation, free of early wake-ups, homework, and rushed meals and activities.

Fast-forward to adulthood. Many people feel “trapped.” I get it.

And lots of my peers are now finally free of their work obligations and are frittering away their lives, scared to step outside the cell. We are creating new rules for retirement, and many of us are choosing alternative paths to freedom.

We all have things in our lives that we view as shackles.

Some of them are real and, in other cases, we’re prisoners of our own brains and hearts.

• Maybe you hate your job, but love the money and/or have legitimate obligations
• You have family obligations (young kids, aging parents, a needy or ill partner) that tie you down
• Your thoughts and habits keep you from breaking free of people and situations that limit you
• Having a warden and a parole officer (not literally) makes you feel comfortable, and you’d rather be in a safe, cozy space than out in the world. No judgment

First, let’s keep it clean and look at how work styles have evolved and impacted our level of freedom.

Now for the naughty stuff.

Some people like being controlled. But it’s really not a character flaw. It’s more about biology and trust.

• BDSM (Bondage & Discipline, Dominance & Submission, Sadism & Masochism) is a consensual exchange of power…not abuse.
• A 2024 review found that 40 to 70% of adults report BDSM fantasies, and about 20% have participated. Researchers found no evidence that consensual BDSM is inherently linked to mental illness.
• We negotiate power every day with our bosses, our partners…and now our bots.

Robot comes from the Czech robota, meaning forced labor. The machines we’re building should work for us…not the other way around. As AI becomes more powerful, our job is to stay in control.

Want more on the future of humans and AI?

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*Here’s an explanation of the owl, BTW.