Many people feel that "something isn't right"; they work more, have less time, and are more tired 😅
Sometimes we don't realize that a climate of division, anger, and constant distraction is constantly being fueled.
It's no coincidence.
It is the result of very ancient strategies, used for centuries to govern the masses.
Two in particular:
divide and conquer And panem et circenses.
Understanding them doesn't mean becoming a conspiracy theorist.
It means becoming more aware 😉
📌 INDEX
1️⃣ What does “divide and conquer” mean?”
Divide and conquer literally means divide and command.
It's a strategy as old as power itself.
When people are united, they become strong.
If they are divided, they become manageable.
The principle is simple:
instead of having a people looking up, you make them look down on the side, against someone else.
By doing this you get:
- right versus left
- young versus old
- poor versus less poor
- who is "in" versus who is "out"“
- vegans versus omnivores
- vax versus novax
When energy is spent fighting the neighbor, you don't have enough energy left to question the System.
This is the heart of divide and conquer.
2️⃣ What does “panem et circenses” mean”
Panem et circenses it means bread and shows.
In ancient Rome it indicated a very clear strategy:
give people the bare minimum to survive and enough entertainment to not think.
Today the concept is the same, but the tools have changed.
Modern “bread” is:
- easy credit
- bonus
- installments
- temporary subsidies
The modern “circenses” are:
- infinite social networks
- ongoing controversies
- constant entertainment
- loud and contradictory news
The result is a population anesthetized, always busy and never really present.
3️⃣ Why the System still uses divide and conquer And panem et circenses
The right question is not if the System you still use divide and conquer And panem et circenses, but why you continue to use them so effectively, even though they are centuries-old strategies.
The answer is simple:
they work better today than yesterday.
We live in much more complex, interconnected, and dependent societies than ever before. This is precisely why force is no longer needed, there is no longer any need for obvious prohibitions or direct repression.
Something more subtle is needed.
🔹 Why dividing is more effective than repressing
A united people is difficult to control.
A divided people, instead, it controls itself.
When the System applies divide and conquer, is not just creating different opinions, it is doing something deeper:
directs anger towards lateral targets.
In this way:
people argue with each other
they identify themselves in factions
they defend a label instead of analyzing the problem
And while attention is focused on the clash, structural decisions go unnoticed.
It's a powerful dynamic because exploit the ego: being right becomes more important than understanding.
🔹 Because distracting costs less than solving
Panem et circenses It's the perfect strategy when you don't want to address the root of the problem.
Solve Really:
it takes time
requires resources
requires responsibility
Distract, instead, is immediate.
Today is enough:
saturate attention
fill the days with stimuli
keep your mind busy
A distracted person:
there is no room for reflection
does not connect events
A person who reacts continuously he doesn't plan, he doesn't build, he doesn't organize.
🔹 The key role of tiredness
Divide and conquer And panem et circenses They work even better when people are tired.
Tired of:
work hard
chasing deadlines
manage ongoing unforeseen events
living with economic anxiety
There tiredness Chronic fatigue lowers your mental defenses. When you're tired:
simplify
follow the crowd
you accept prepackaged narratives
Not because you're naive, but because you don't have the energy to do otherwise.
🔹 The decisive factor: economic dependence
There is a central point that makes these strategies so effective: the economic dependence.
A person who depends:
from a single salary
from a single employer
from a single system
is more prone to:
to be silent
to adapt
don't expose yourself
Not because I don't have ideas or values, but because he has too much to lose.
🔹 Because they work without you realizing it
The real strength of these strategies is that they don't seem like strategies.
They look like:
debates
entertainment
personal opinions
individual choices
But when you look at the picture from above, you see a clear pattern:
people divided on everything
fragmented attention
wasted energy
Control is not imposed.It is accepted, often without realizing it 😅
4️⃣ Real historical examples (yesterday and today)
If these strategies still work today, it is because they were tested thoroughly in history.
And the clearest, most studied and documented example is precisely Ancient Rome.
Rome did not rule with legions alone.
He ruled above all with psychology.
🏛️ Panem et circenses: how Rome kept the people calm
In Rome, most of the population lived in difficult conditions: high rents, precarious employment, and severe social inequality.
To avoid riots, the State adopted a precise strategy:
free or regulated distribution of grain (panem)
large public shows (circuses). The Colosseum is the most iconic representation of all this.
Gladiatorial games, chariot races and public events were not just entertainment, they were political instruments.
As long as the people had:
food
show
distraction
he didn't ask for reforms, he didn't question power, he didn't organize himself.
The implicit message was clear:
“Don't look at who decides. Enjoy the show.”
⚔️ Divide and conquer: how Rome avoided a united people
Rome knew well that unity is strength, that's why he did everything to avoid her.
In the conquered territories:
favored some local elites
granted privileges to a part of the population
pitted ethnic or political groups against each other
Never a united front.
Never a common identity too strong.
Even within Rome itself:
patricians versus plebeians
Roman citizens against provincials
slaves versus free men
Continuous divisions that prevented the people from recognizing themselves as a single body.
🦠 Covid period (modern example)
Here divide and conquer it was obvious.
I won't go into the health aspect, but I invite you to observe the social dynamics.
In a short time, labels were created:
“irresponsible”
“conspiracy theorists”
“vax/no vax”
Anyone who asked questions was isolated, and anyone who doubted or had an opinion different from that shared by the System was ridiculed.
Result?
Families divided.
Lost friends.
Dialogue reset.
Meanwhile, huge decisions were made without any real public debate.
This is divide and conquer modern.
5️⃣ Why these strategies still work
Because they appeal to primitive emotions:
fear
anger
need to belong
need for distraction
And because many people are economically blackmailable.
Those who live with the anxiety of making it to the end of the month:
accept compromises
avoid conflicts
go with the flow
Economic dependence breeds psychological dependence. If you want to escape this trap, I invite you to read this article: FINANCIAL FREEDOM: Where to Start to Stop Counting Money and/or watch the presentation of our Project
6️⃣ How to get out of it: the two fundamental keys
🔑 1. Awareness
The first real exit from the system is see the mechanism.
When you recognize divide and conquer:
stop falling into emotional traps
stop hating the wrong target
When you recognize panem et circenses:
regain attention
you recover mental energy
Awareness does not make you superior to others but it makes you less manipulable.
🔑 2. Work on yourself
Because here's the inconvenient truth:
even if you understand everything… If you don't work on yourself, you fall back into it..
Your choices are based on:
beliefs (empowering or sabotaging)
fears (who guide you without asking your permission)
automatic reactions (anger, anxiety, need for approval, escape)
When you begin a journey of inner rediscovery, this happens:
not only do you learn to recognize them, but you also learn to transform them.
From "low" to "high." From reaction to choice.
On the way The Way of Love we work right here:
practical tools + a different philosophy of approaching life.
You could learn to:
managing emotions, instead of suffering them
install new empowering beliefs (e.g., “I am a successful soul,” “I am worthy of love,” “I am in balance with money energy,” “I am a creator of prosperity and abundance”)
don't react from the gut, but listen to your deepest self
don't get carried away by the external "noise"
build inner stability, so you are no longer driven by fear or anger
And I'll tell you straight:
There is no better investment than investing in yourself.
Because if you change inside… everything changes outside 😊
7️⃣ Financial Freedom, Unity, and Detoxification
This is where it comes in Freedom Project.
Being financially free doesn't necessarily mean earning €20,000 a month.
It means to be less susceptible to blackmail.
Diversified income, controlled costs, protected assets:
they lower fear
increase clarity
make manipulation more difficult
There are several articles I have written to delve deeper into this topic.
I suggest you read:
- FINANCIAL FREEDOM: Where to Start to Stop Counting Money
- Make Money So You Don't Have to Think About It: 3 Steps Right Away
- The 3 x 15 Method: The Ladder to Changing Your Life in 45 Minutes a Day
- WORK ONLINE FROM HOME: The Best Opportunities to Earn Money Online
At the same time, it is essential to stop dividing, return to dialogue, and seek unity and cohesion.
Detach yourself from what is toxic:
- useless news
- endless controversies
- sterile ideological wars
It's not disinterest.
It's strategy.
✉️ Conclusion
Divide and conquer And panem et circenses They only work on those who are tired, divided and dependent.
Getting out doesn't mean fighting the System.
It means stop playing on his terms.
Today itself:
look where they are dividing you
ask yourself what is distracting you
take a step towards your independence
Repeat tomorrow.
Over time, the way you think changes, and when your thinking changes, your choices change too 💪
Thanks for being with me.
Now it's up to you to decide whether to remain a spectator...
or become the protagonist.
David Bottero
Co-Founder of Freedom Project
English 
Italian