The Cage Question
Imagine that you are in a cage.
However, you are not human but animal.
Tell me the first animal that comes to your mind.
Describe the cage in as much detail as possible.
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The cage offers a window into how we understand ourselves, our limitations, and the often unspoken rules that govern our lives. The animal symbolises the raw, unfiltered essence of who we are, while the cage represents the external structures imposed by society, family, or even our own minds, which we perceive as containing us.
This exercise is a way to get to know someone better. Ask them for their thoughts on their chosen animal and keep asking for more details. What colour is the floor? What's in the corner? Understand what their cage looks like and how they feel inside it.
When asked to describe their chosen animal, people unconsciously reveal their feelings: how they view their constraints and their potential for freedom. People talk about it without realising it, it's disarming. Some see themselves as raging bulls, straining against the bars. Others might envision themselves as birds, unable to imagine a cage, seeing it as a room where they can fly high and gain new perspectives.
There is no difference between the cage and the animal because the boundaries we think we see, the limitations we feel, are essentially linked to the essence of who we are. The cage is not an external force keeping us trapped. It is an extension of the animal, of us, a manifestation of how we perceive the world and our place in it.
For some, the bars are thick and unyielding, representing deep beliefs, fears, or societal expectations that feel impossible to break free from. For others, the cage may be fragile, barely noticeable, something that could be shifted at any moment if only they realised their own power.
Those who are fully assimilated by society won't see the cage; they are so into the illusion they see no boundaries.
You can't possibly be comfortable everywhere. The people who don't see the cage, who think they are free, are often those most confined by it. They are so deeply assimilated into the expectations and norms of society that they don't even realise they're in a cage at all. For these people, the cage has become indistinguishable from the world they live in.
To see the cage, to feel its bars, is the first step toward freedom, because in recognising the boundaries, you give yourself the power to redefine them.
Some see themselves as dragon lying dormant. Their cage is made out of twigs so thin that if the dragon moves the cage collapses. The cage has a sword going through securing the enclosed there.
When I was first proposed this question, I saw myself as a tiger: fierce and strong, caged within a zoo-like structure. The bars were thick and unyielding, allowing minimal space to walk in a circle. The ceiling was so high that the tiger could not see the end, leaving it to wonder if there was ever an escape.
I've always identified with a tiger. Growing up in a country different from my heritage, I often felt the pressure to assimilate, clinging to anything that made me feel part of the society around me. These were desperate attempts to fit in and be accepted. Within those confines, I've become both resilient and strong. I like having my space and feeling secure in it. The adaptability I've developed reminds me of a big cat: flexible yet firm. Tigers are known for being unpredictable, quick to make decisive moves. Similarly, my emotions can flare up intensely, yet at other times, I am calm and steady, like a quiet giant. There's an untamed strength in tigers, but also a sense of grace. That combination is where my confidence resides.
The question is not whether the cage exists but whether we understand it for what it is. The tiger, the dragon, the bird: they are all aspects of ourselves, representing how we move through life, how we see our power, and how we navigate our perceived limitations. But the cage, too, is part of us. It's a creation of our minds, built from our beliefs about the world and our place in it. When we understand that the cage is of our own making, we can begin to shape it, bend it, and eventually walk through it with the power of knowing we were never truly confined.
There is no world outside of you. Everything you experience is a reflection of your own thoughts, perceptions, and beliefs. The cage is not imposed by society, nor is it forced upon you by external forces. It is you. The world, as we know it, is a mental construct. When you change your mind, you change your world.
Just as the cage can be a symbol of confinement, it can also be a symbol of transformation. The cage, initially seen as a binding constraint, can, however, evolve into a sanctuary that not only helps us exist in a certain way but also protects us and aids in navigation. The cage is something to be understood. And in that understanding lies the key to our freedom.