Power does not manifest itself solely through prohibitions, laws or mechanisms of control. It also operates in a less visible way: it helps determine how we think, what we consider normal and what we accept as truth. It influences how we interpret the world, establishes the boundaries of what is acceptable and shapes our perception of what is possible. Its greatest influence does not always lie in forcing us to do something, but in getting us to adopt certain ideas as our own, without questioning where they come from or whose interests they serve.

When a society internalises its norms to the point where it no longer perceives them as human constructions, power no longer needs to impose them constantly. People begin to monitor themselves and correct any thoughts or behaviours that deviate from what is established. What seemed unacceptable yesterday may become normal, and what is presented today as an unquestionable truth may be challenged tomorrow. Freedom, therefore, is not simply the ability to do what is permitted, but also the ability to question what we have learned to consider natural, necessary or true.