Do not Obey in Advance

 Don't comply in advance" is a warning, popularized by historian

Key aspects

• Authoritarianism's reliance: Authoritarian regimes gain power not just by force, but by people anticipating and offering compliance before being asked.
• Self-censorship: Voluntarily censoring yourself or conforming teaches the powerful that they don't need to enforce their will forcefully.
Individual responsibility: It emphasizes that individual actions, even seemingly small ones, have significant consequences and can either enable or resist tyranny.
Living freely: The advice encourages people to live and act as if they are free, even under threat, to avoid becoming psychologically committed to oppression. 

Examples of compliance in advance

• Predicting future demands: Modifying your behavior or speech because you think a more repressive government might want you to, thus teaching them what they can demand.
• Normalizing harmful actions: Going along with small concessions that normalize a larger oppressive system, making it harder to resist later.
• Professional complicity: Professionals (lawyers, judges, business owners) failing to adhere to ethical codes when political leaders seek to undermine the rule of law, making oppression easier.