It is not easy to live in a soft dictatorship, because it is not a real dictatorship, so the situation is not so intense either. It's not difficult to recognize this either, but it's even tiring to live with it day after day. But if you do choose this, the following might help:
You have to realize that the supporters of the party building the soft dictatorship are the people you love anyway, or even if you don't know them, you share a seat with them on the bus, you stand behind each other in the queue, etc. You cannot convince them with a simple conversation that they support a harmful system, since they are believers. Even if you try, they will only have more devoted followers and they will also hate you because they sense that someone is taking away their faith. It might be best to just try to be nice to them. It is unsettling for power when people who disagree are on good terms with each other.
Perhaps there will come a time when we will treat each other's world view as naturally as, for example, what is your other favorite color The authorities really do not want this age to come, and to this end they will regularly incite tension between you. Be smarter and don't fall for this!
If you look at the scattered remains of the industrial and military buildings left in a former dictatorships, well, the cloud castles senselessly erected, nationalized or privatized by the powers of the time will one day be exactly the same. If you protest against them, they will only build more. But they will definitely become empty mementos, since they are unsustainable and unviable. Sooner or later they will collapse on their own, but if it does happen before time, don't complain too loudly, because they will rebuild it in shame.
The soft dictatorships make more and more absourd decisions one after the other. If you want to stop them, stand up for them rather than against them: since you are regarded as enemy of the system, this creates a self-contradiction in them. But you can also do nothing, e.g. you write children's songs or something like that: the point is not to let yourself be provoked. In the absence of protest, the government usually realizes that it was stupid and backs down quietly. In such cases, do not notice this. In general, don't let them know you. At least leave this much of yourself to yourself.
f you have a good idea that would help the work processes and the efficient functioning of the entire system (after all, in principle, that would be the goal, right?), don't tell anyone, because - as you are considered an enemy of the system - they won't do it just for that reason. Rather, somehow lead the representatives of power to make it seem like it was their own brilliant idea. When they finally bring this up, of course, stay quiet and don't support them loudly, because they will get suspicious. The most you can do is say: although you don't agree with them, you realize that this idea is a very good solution for the sake of the common goal.
Never resign at a workplace, board, etc., where you can no longer accept what is going on. After all, they are playing to get you to leave yourself, so it will be said about you that you are not suitable for the task. Always leave only when you are fired!
The open spirit of opposition initiatives is comfortable for the authority. Trolls can easily infiltrate here and ruin it all pretty quickly. So, unfortunately, you have to follow the principle that you openly communicate a lot of good things and crap mixed together (like this text), but in addition there is a closed, secret, interpersonal channel, and that you organize among yourselves on a private forum, you laugh at those in power (they are particularly sensitive to this), and you feel great together.
Of course, there will be moles there too, but don't worry about them; maybe you can open another channel because of them. It is even better if this forum is a folk song collecting club, a tourist group, a programming club or anything else that provides useful activities and educates its members. For the authorities, it is particularly irritating when they want to oppress people, and they start to cultivate, train themselves, help others voluntarily, and in the meantime they feel good, or even more, they get state support for it. It goes without saying: apply freely for everything you can. No one can tell you that you didn't even try to get support, while you still whine.
Even more dangerous than trolls and moles are those overzealous self-starters who, without paying any attention to the other person, just say their own thing out loud. They certainly have the intention to help, but it is impossible to get them to understand so that they remain silent. If they appear, unfortunately you have you have to leave them and the trolls ruminating on some pointless topic. Later, when there is another revolution, these zealots will be very proud of how much they have done for change. They will receive recognitions and positions for this, which unconsciously perpetuate the current oppression into another one of the same kind.
The role of the critical, investigative press is very important, but they also have the dangers of overzealousness and hype.
Just because something is used by the authorities, it can be still good. There are people who are on the side of power, but otherwise sensible and good people. And vice versa: if something is oppositional and critical, it can also be very bad. You have to recognize this in order to make meaningful changes.
Perhaps the most important thing is to try to live a meaningful life, full of experiences independent from all of this, because these soft dictatorships take a very long time and our time is important. And when they end, and maybe a better world will come, then there will be a great need for those who are still intact, who will protect the future from another one of the same kind.
Finally, one more thing: although soft dictatorships rarely turn into real dictatorships, don't be frivolous and always have a valid passport. At any time, you can pack up your and your family's belongings in 10 minutes and leave everything behind.