Daktaras argues that the physical body could be imprisoned, beaten, and starved, but the internal self—the "human" within—could only be surrendered by the individual. The book documents the daily battle to maintain moral standards in a lawless society. It explores how small acts—sharing a crust of bread, refusing to betray a friend, or simply maintaining personal hygiene—became acts of defiance against a system that wanted the prisoners to become animals.
The Soviet system demanded every action have ideological meaning . Daktaras suggests doing something purely for aesthetic or foolish joy (e.g., arranging flowers in a specific way, whistling a tune from the radio but changing the key). This act of "useless beauty" is the ultimate defiance. Henrikas Daktaras Islikti Zmogumi PDF
In essence, Išlikti žmogumi is Daktaras's attempt to write his own history before the state or the public can finalize it for him. Whether he succeeds in proving he "remained a human" is highly debatable, but the book remains a crucial document for understanding the social and psychological landscape of Lithuania during its transition to independence—a time when the lines between "man," "criminal," and "citizen" were dangerously blurred. Daktaras argues that the physical body could be
