You can be a wage slave and have the theoretical option of quitting. The humans in the Culture are similarly “free”, in that they’d have to give up their lavis

You can be a wage slave and have the theoretical option of quitting. The humans in the Culture are similarly “free”, in that they’d have to give up their lavish and safe lifestyle for true freedom and self-determination. They choose not to, but they can. Some pets run away. Most don’t.