# Slavery as Status, Servitude as Mentality

Slavery is a condition, while servitude is a mindset. The transition from slavery to servitude requires three conditions: First, you must find pleasure in the enslaved life and sustain yourself through spiritual self-comfort; Second, you not only endure humiliation but also bully those weaker than you, just like "Ah Q" in Lu Xun's novels—after being beaten by his subordinates, he seeks opportunities to oppress a young nun; Third, a servant constantly dreams of becoming a master and fantasizes about owning servants, something a slave does not possess. For thousands of years, this genetic code of servility has prevented people from resisting when oppressed, yet allowed them to find satisfaction in bullying the weak. The most effective way for slave masters to maintain power is to allow slaves to harbor fantasies of becoming slave masters themselves, thereby making them willingly accept the status quo. More importantly, it makes everyone recognize the hierarchical order, accept the existence of "superior people," and never question injustice. Because once a slave acquires even the slightest bit of power, he often becomes arrogant and domineering, repeating the tyrannical behavior of those above him.