Whenever I read the word invasion, what quickly comes to mind is one country invading another. We have eventually learned that the goals we are provided for the charge are rarely the entire story. More often than not, there is a hidden agenda, some self-serving components, and concealed motives are hidden forever. That is the reality of invasion – it is treacherous and used for the invader’s benefit and not the victim. It makes sense – if what we are contributing is beneficial to both parties, then an intrusion wouldn’t be necessary – an invitation would be provided. The other party is given a choice.
We can justify intrusion as much as we want, that we are saving and improving people’s lives but an invasion is still an invasion. Some people will always want to be ‘saved,’ rather than disbursing the effort to save themselves and welcome the intervention. Even many will consider it just a matter of exchanging one form of slavery over another.
If we have invited someone along to our home and become interfering, we can request them to leave. However, it doesn’t often work that way with invasion. The attacker is seen as the more powerful and dominant, sometimes even as a savior. However, even if the initial charge has saved our lives over some time, bitterness starts to fester and rise to the surface. People start mumbling and muttering; they start asking questions about exactly what benefits the invader received when they ‘saved’ them. These are measured and weighed, and often, in hindsight, the cost is admitted to have been much too high. Invasion is never honest – there is always the danger of exposure, and eventually, it’s ‘Mutiny on the Bounty’ all over again.
It is challenging to separate invasion into different categories because each one tends to bleed into the other. Physical invasion can lead to a mental invasion, and so on. As I’ve said before, an invasion is insidious- a parasite!
Physical invasion
Physical invasion is the most visible and obvious one. It comes in the way of torture, beatings, sexual assaults and imprisonment of one way or another.
These are all used in war to silence the opposition, so victory is assured. Therefore, it begs the question – can we go one step further and say that invasion is, in fact, an act of war – in whatever form it comes? Invasion of a country, sexual harassment of a co-worker, or bullying of someone at the academy – isn’t it just a matter of degree?
Some angry and hurt kids learn to become bullies. If they aren’t healed or made responsible, they become adult bullies. These adult bullies might then have children of their own, who learn their behavior and continue it into the next generation. Some adult bullies end up as heads of corporations and influential public figures. This is where international acts of war are likely to begin. It turns into a self-perpetuating cycle of the fear-driven cycle.
Mental Invasion
Bullying doesn’t only have to be physical. These days of social media have become a cruel and violent form of another human being’s cruelty. Most of these bullies can remain nameless, which makes it more harmful in some ways because there is no-one to be held responsible. The cute chubby guy smiling at you from across the room could be the person who is sending the offensive messages.
The news is full of articles of people being bullied due to their sexual orientation, physical appearance, religious beliefs, etc. This breaks down the sufferers’ self-confidence and self-worth to the extent that sometimes even a kind family can’t repair the harm done. This form of invasion can end in people taking their own lives when their feeling of isolation becomes too much to handle.
Forcing your opinions
Forcing our opinions onto others is also a type of invasion. Have you ever discussed with someone who is very strong and stares into your eyes while waiting for your answer, nearly prompting you to agree with them? I know that I have felt very uncomfortable in such a situation, under pressure, and severely looking for the nearest exit! The invasion has that effect!
Any seeding of our own beliefs, or instructed guesses, into someone else’s mind as the last truth is a type of invasion. Some years ago, I came across the stories of two women who had both been diagnosed with the same ‘terminal’ disease and had both been given four months to live by their respective doctors. One of these ladies I met, but the other I didn’t because she had taken the doctor’s words to heart, lost hope, and passed on a few days before the four months were up. The other lady, however, though frightened, refused the doctor’s diagnosis. She had two young kids and was prepared not to leave them. She went on an impulsive journey to discover the cause of her illness and went on to heal herself. Seven years later, and I am told she is still active and living.
