In "Things I've Been Silent About," Azar Nafisi reflects on the complexities of living under authority figures, drawing on her experience with her mother. She humorously suggests that her upbringing prepared her for challenging times, yet the constant struggle to either conform or rebel against these expectations drained her. The interplay of desires and obligations left little room for genuine enjoyment.

Nafisi reveals a deep-seated tension in her relationship with fun, feeling guilty as if enjoying herself were a hidden transgression. This underlying anxiety illustrates how the desire for compliance and the need for autonomy can clash, leading to a paradox where pleasure is overshadowed by feelings of wrongdoing.