agency

If things became like they are depicted in 1984 or Brave New World, we wouldn't realize it because we would be inside it. Those novels only mean what they do to us because things aren't like that in our world. 

But in any case, say if the world was like that, each individual would have their own interactions and life - their own story. One of the things that helps me in dealing with mental health issues is the realization that we each have the power to shape our own lives.