Who's Using Who?

From the Osho Zen Tarot, Conditioning (Devil); from the A'HA Oracle, Serpent with Eggs:

In psychology, conditioning refers to a person being shaped to respond to something or someone in a certain way. We are all conditioned from the time we are born by the people we are around and listen to, the books we read and the things to which we're exposed. It's almost hilarious that Americans love to shout about freedom when our ideas have so thoroughly shaped us, you could press any emotional button and predict how we'd react. Our opinions have become our choke collars and leashes, not doors to freedom. The Serpent with Eggs shows a snake protecting her nest, but what happens when her eggs hatch? She doesn't continue to stay curled around them. Likewise, when we take a clear, honest view of the results of our ideas and opinions, we might not find anything we should continue to protect. A teacher (Tim Olmstead) recently asked, "Are you using your thoughts and emotions, or are they using you?"