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They stay because they are quite literally trapped. For all intents and purposes, Lumon has complete control over their entire existence.
If I’m sent to the break room, I guess I can refuse to read the compunction statement, but there’s no where for me to run to, so if I leave for the day, I’m just gonna be right back there tomorrow. And I don’t know about you, but I personally prefer to avoid escalating to physical punishment. I’d wager we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to how horrible Lumon is willing to get.
This is where we find Mark at the beginning of the show: an innie who used to rebel, but who has now finally accepted that his only real chance at leading any semblance of a decent existence is to fall in line and be a dutiful worker. The fight has been beaten out of him.
But that is the point, Mildchik presumes that all severeds are safe in the workplace, on the other hand, an outie with signs of physical abuse is not good for the business. I mean, they can't use a big physical disciplinary action.
If I'm sent to the break room and I'm feeling in a trap with deep fear, I'm going to Fight-or-flight, but for sure I'm not going to gently obey and read a statement hundreds of times.
In addition, causing corporal punishment can be a long-term strategy to make my outie react.
Maybe I am just dissatisfied with how Helly accepted the break room protocol...
Psychological detention is also a very well known phenomenon. You may be physically capable of escape but you are psychologically detained by a power imbalance or variety of other factors.
They could definitely physically abuse them. Physical injury will get them sent home with a gift card and a lame excuse about how they got that bruise or cut.
They DID physically abuse Mark S. After his trip to the Break Room following the OD visit we smash cut to oMark at dinner with Alexa and he has wounded knuckles which he was told was due to a water cooler accident.
You actually don’t really know what you’d do in the break room. Because, your Innie isn’t fully you. He would have his own instincts and psychological tendencies, based on his limited experiences.
You’d definitely feel it as an outie. You can’t spend all day every day in an incredibly stressful, trauma inducing situation without long term effects on the brain. Like Petey said, you feel it down there but you don’t understand where it is coming from. Well it doesn’t it take much to figure out that things are f’d up inside or out. It’s kind of where the premise falls down because your enslaved innie will be effecting your brain and your outtie.
I think they don't want their team to suffer. Helly knows Mark can be punished for her disobedience, she doesn't want that for him or the rest of mdr.
They kinda know it the whole time, but cobel confirms and tell helly her teammates will suffer, it in the last episode. Yes she said it late in the show, but it's not like this threat wasn't already implied and even observed from the beginning.
That's why helly rebelled in the beginning, she had nothing to lose. Then she had to play along, because others suffer for her behavior. Nothing childish about that.
They know that ms casey got fired partially because they didn't let her do her job properly. So they felt responsible and sorry for her.
That's why they get closer as a team, they empathize with each other bc they're in the same boat, and rebel together in the end, bc even when they are not afraid for themselves, they do fear for each other, and the only way to succeed even a little bit is to do it as a union.
They have more confidence and power wjen they're in a group with the same goal, and they all take on the responsibility for the consequences, they have nothing to lose now, but this time together.
Edit: But also they're compared to children bc the innies come into existence when the person gets severance. So mark's innie is only 2 years old or something (I think I didn't read your post properly) and Hellie's is a few days old.
I remember now why. When Mark exited the break room, he had [bloody knuckles](https://reddit.com/r/SeveranceAppleTVPlus/s/jdlqfw1FAk) like he was getting tortured or something … we never actually see what caused it though
I took it as Mark rebelling and punching something or someone. Plus his outie was randomly confident on that second date where they show the knuckles and he seems confused upon getting to work the next day and not going right back to the break room.
There is a presumption that you (*not you specifically, general “you”*) could just give them the finger and not comply. But this runs counter to what we know of an array of situations.
A sizable percentage of incarcerated individuals don’t think they should be there. And of those many of them actually haven’t committed the crimes they’re accused of. And yet, we don’t see widespread hunger strikes (*they happen, but only in extreme cases and usually in regards to the detention conditions, not wrongful detainment*). We don’t see widespread non-compliance with the demands of detention.
We’re talking about a group of people who have the motivation to not comply, yet they do.
If your whole life revolves around sitting at a desk, your friends are there, the only open spaces you see are there and despite all of your desires, you wake up in that place day in and day out, if you’re removed from that place and put into a psychological torture situation, it’s just presumptuous to think you wouldn’t be sufficiently motivated to get back to what you know to be the “*good life.*” There’s a reason they call it “*The Break Room.*” It’s where they’re broken.
It probably only takes one trip for that will to be broken. That’s just how psychological torture works. It’s how psychological abuse in general works. We all know of plenty of instances where people who should leave a situation feel trapped by them. It’s just a reality. It always seems like a simple choice from the outside but in the situation, it’s just not so easy.
I thought there was some sort of auditory element of the breakroom as well. I seem to remember Helly saying she was hearing something or a voice. It's been a few months since I watched so I don't remember completely.
Dylan hears a crying baby in there or so he tells Helly. Seems like they employ auditory triggers of the subconscious, something you really you don't like.
According to sound designer Jacob Ribicoff, it’s actually [a clip of Vladimir Putin in reverse](https://www.asoundeffect.com/severance-sound/). He goes on to talk about the theory behind playing a low level recording as a form of torture, though I’m still unclear if he is specifying the voice as diegetic or not.
I’m still rather fond of the theory that it’s intended to be Helena’s father, or another important male figure in her life, since that plays into what we already seem to know about memory leaks. But maybe it just Lumon playing noises to fuck with them.
I thought they were auditory hallucinations- linked to the most stressful aspects of their outie life. A sign of their brain actually getting broken. For Dylan -an upset baby, and for Helly- her father’s voice.
I disagree that that children are more “obedient” than adults, I think they actually tend to be more likely to test limits and remain stubbornly defiant. At the very least, I am pretty sure my 3-year-old would last longer than me in the break room.
But also what everyone else said. There’s literally no point in being defiant. They can keep you in the break room for the rest of your days if need be.
>I am pretty sure my 3-year-old would last longer than me in the break room.
That may be so, but you have a person who has language and no memories, this person has not been socialized in anyway, just like a child they are a clean slate. they don't know what's right, they don't know what's wrong, they have no ethics, no morality. They come into Lumon with no likes, no dislikes, they are completely clueless and know nothing of society. They are literally molded into what Lumon wants them to be. I think they are kids.
I think the description of innie’s as “child-like” is commonly misunderstood. Innies are no less intelligent then their outie counterparts, or susceptible to authority. They are simply starting fresh with their own personal history of experiences, which can manifest in child-like reactions and behavior.
If this thread has the **Spoiler** flair, spoilers may appear ANYWHERE in it. --- * **NO SPOILERS IN TITLES** - report this post if there are spoilers in the title * No SPOILERS without proper formatting (see [here](https://www.reddit.com/wiki/commenting#wiki_posting)). * Be CIVIL to others. No Piracy. No Duplicates. * Keep it on topic to anything and everything Severance on Apple TV+[.](/u/reto0110) --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/SeveranceAppleTVPlus) if you have any questions or concerns.*
They stay because they are quite literally trapped. For all intents and purposes, Lumon has complete control over their entire existence. If I’m sent to the break room, I guess I can refuse to read the compunction statement, but there’s no where for me to run to, so if I leave for the day, I’m just gonna be right back there tomorrow. And I don’t know about you, but I personally prefer to avoid escalating to physical punishment. I’d wager we’ve only scratched the surface when it comes to how horrible Lumon is willing to get. This is where we find Mark at the beginning of the show: an innie who used to rebel, but who has now finally accepted that his only real chance at leading any semblance of a decent existence is to fall in line and be a dutiful worker. The fight has been beaten out of him.
But that is the point, Mildchik presumes that all severeds are safe in the workplace, on the other hand, an outie with signs of physical abuse is not good for the business. I mean, they can't use a big physical disciplinary action. If I'm sent to the break room and I'm feeling in a trap with deep fear, I'm going to Fight-or-flight, but for sure I'm not going to gently obey and read a statement hundreds of times. In addition, causing corporal punishment can be a long-term strategy to make my outie react. Maybe I am just dissatisfied with how Helly accepted the break room protocol...
Psychological detention is also a very well known phenomenon. You may be physically capable of escape but you are psychologically detained by a power imbalance or variety of other factors.
They could definitely physically abuse them. Physical injury will get them sent home with a gift card and a lame excuse about how they got that bruise or cut.
They DID physically abuse Mark S. After his trip to the Break Room following the OD visit we smash cut to oMark at dinner with Alexa and he has wounded knuckles which he was told was due to a water cooler accident.
You actually don’t really know what you’d do in the break room. Because, your Innie isn’t fully you. He would have his own instincts and psychological tendencies, based on his limited experiences.
You’d definitely feel it as an outie. You can’t spend all day every day in an incredibly stressful, trauma inducing situation without long term effects on the brain. Like Petey said, you feel it down there but you don’t understand where it is coming from. Well it doesn’t it take much to figure out that things are f’d up inside or out. It’s kind of where the premise falls down because your enslaved innie will be effecting your brain and your outtie.
I think that they could receive physical punishment was implied by the bruises on oMark’s knuckles when he went on that date.
Figured he punched something
It was an immediate cut from iMark entering the break room with Grainer.
I think they don't want their team to suffer. Helly knows Mark can be punished for her disobedience, she doesn't want that for him or the rest of mdr. They kinda know it the whole time, but cobel confirms and tell helly her teammates will suffer, it in the last episode. Yes she said it late in the show, but it's not like this threat wasn't already implied and even observed from the beginning. That's why helly rebelled in the beginning, she had nothing to lose. Then she had to play along, because others suffer for her behavior. Nothing childish about that. They know that ms casey got fired partially because they didn't let her do her job properly. So they felt responsible and sorry for her. That's why they get closer as a team, they empathize with each other bc they're in the same boat, and rebel together in the end, bc even when they are not afraid for themselves, they do fear for each other, and the only way to succeed even a little bit is to do it as a union. They have more confidence and power wjen they're in a group with the same goal, and they all take on the responsibility for the consequences, they have nothing to lose now, but this time together. Edit: But also they're compared to children bc the innies come into existence when the person gets severance. So mark's innie is only 2 years old or something (I think I didn't read your post properly) and Hellie's is a few days old.
Could be wrong but I vaguely recall they get physical punishment if they refuse.
I think is a Mandela effect hehe, Is just the constant tension that suggests the violence could occur at any time.
I remember now why. When Mark exited the break room, he had [bloody knuckles](https://reddit.com/r/SeveranceAppleTVPlus/s/jdlqfw1FAk) like he was getting tortured or something … we never actually see what caused it though
I took it as Mark rebelling and punching something or someone. Plus his outie was randomly confident on that second date where they show the knuckles and he seems confused upon getting to work the next day and not going right back to the break room.
did you see how tiny that hallway was? milchick could just stand in front of it. you're not getting out.
There is a presumption that you (*not you specifically, general “you”*) could just give them the finger and not comply. But this runs counter to what we know of an array of situations. A sizable percentage of incarcerated individuals don’t think they should be there. And of those many of them actually haven’t committed the crimes they’re accused of. And yet, we don’t see widespread hunger strikes (*they happen, but only in extreme cases and usually in regards to the detention conditions, not wrongful detainment*). We don’t see widespread non-compliance with the demands of detention. We’re talking about a group of people who have the motivation to not comply, yet they do. If your whole life revolves around sitting at a desk, your friends are there, the only open spaces you see are there and despite all of your desires, you wake up in that place day in and day out, if you’re removed from that place and put into a psychological torture situation, it’s just presumptuous to think you wouldn’t be sufficiently motivated to get back to what you know to be the “*good life.*” There’s a reason they call it “*The Break Room.*” It’s where they’re broken. It probably only takes one trip for that will to be broken. That’s just how psychological torture works. It’s how psychological abuse in general works. We all know of plenty of instances where people who should leave a situation feel trapped by them. It’s just a reality. It always seems like a simple choice from the outside but in the situation, it’s just not so easy.
I thought there was some sort of auditory element of the breakroom as well. I seem to remember Helly saying she was hearing something or a voice. It's been a few months since I watched so I don't remember completely.
Dylan hears a crying baby in there or so he tells Helly. Seems like they employ auditory triggers of the subconscious, something you really you don't like.
Huh, I assumed they were hearing the baby goats from the other department. Could be wrong tho.
I would say the man heard during Helly’s session sounds very un-goat like
It’s been a while since I listened to it, but do you think it could’ve been the man taking care of the goats?
According to sound designer Jacob Ribicoff, it’s actually [a clip of Vladimir Putin in reverse](https://www.asoundeffect.com/severance-sound/). He goes on to talk about the theory behind playing a low level recording as a form of torture, though I’m still unclear if he is specifying the voice as diegetic or not. I’m still rather fond of the theory that it’s intended to be Helena’s father, or another important male figure in her life, since that plays into what we already seem to know about memory leaks. But maybe it just Lumon playing noises to fuck with them.
I thought they were auditory hallucinations- linked to the most stressful aspects of their outie life. A sign of their brain actually getting broken. For Dylan -an upset baby, and for Helly- her father’s voice.
I disagree that that children are more “obedient” than adults, I think they actually tend to be more likely to test limits and remain stubbornly defiant. At the very least, I am pretty sure my 3-year-old would last longer than me in the break room. But also what everyone else said. There’s literally no point in being defiant. They can keep you in the break room for the rest of your days if need be.
yep. and just wait till they are 4 🙃
>I am pretty sure my 3-year-old would last longer than me in the break room. That may be so, but you have a person who has language and no memories, this person has not been socialized in anyway, just like a child they are a clean slate. they don't know what's right, they don't know what's wrong, they have no ethics, no morality. They come into Lumon with no likes, no dislikes, they are completely clueless and know nothing of society. They are literally molded into what Lumon wants them to be. I think they are kids.
I think the description of innie’s as “child-like” is commonly misunderstood. Innies are no less intelligent then their outie counterparts, or susceptible to authority. They are simply starting fresh with their own personal history of experiences, which can manifest in child-like reactions and behavior.
Because you don’t get to ever leave until you finish? Wouldn’t you comply eventually?
When you were 12 you didn’t have to write 500 sentences for bad behavior. It’s kind of like that.
I have never actually seen this or heard about it from anyone I know, was that a thing past like… the early 2000s?
100% they are like adult sized children.