Growing up in a liberal household with well-educated parents, and where we each pursued our personal interests, I would never have thought that exercising autonomy would be viewed as a threat to the system.
Of course, families are systems in the the most basic sense. But I didn’t always understand or appreciate how powerful the system could be in ways that were nearly impossible to detect. Many systems are created intentionally. Some family systems are, too. But systems can exist in unintentional ways, as well.
The unintentional systems are the worst kind because they have a mind of their own. In dysfunctional family systems, the rules are often unintentional, and those who enforce the rules often don’t realize they are doing so. Continue reading Your Autonomy As a Threat to the Family System
My Own Keeper 