Human domestication begins early in life, shaping how we see ourselves and interact with the world. The younger generation is molded by the older—especially by parents, schools, society, and religion. While these influences are often well-intentioned, they can create an invisible system of control. Just as animals are domesticated through a cycle of punishment and reward, often humans too are conditioned in the same way. From an early age, children learn to seek approval through praise like “good boy” or “good girl” and to fear disapproval or punishment. Over time, this conditioning extends into adulthood, influencing our choices, behaviors, and sense of worth.
Wisdom writer Don Miguel Ruiz, in The Four Agreements, describes this process:
"Reward feels good, and we keep doing what others want us to do in order to get the reward. With the fear of being punished and the fear of not getting the reward, we start pretending to be what we are not, just to please others, just to be good enough for someone else…. We pretend to be what we are not because we are afraid of being rejected. The fear of being rejected becomes the fear of not being good enough. Eventually, we become someone that we are not."
The domestication of humans through reward and punishment fosters fear, people-pleasing, and inauthenticity. To break free from these silent chains, we must unlearn the habit of seeking external validation and instead make choices rooted in values, meaning, and authenticity. Though challenging, escaping this cycle is possible through intentional, value-driven living.
Notes
Ruiz, D. M. (1997). The four agreements: A practical guide to personal freedom (pp. 6-8). Amber-Allen Publishing.