What Is Freedom?
The Contest brought to us by @sagescrub is one for Liberty, one for Freedom!
The question:
What does Freedom mean to you?
For such a short one, it's a loaded question! Freedom can mean so many things and like you @sagescrub, my personal understanding of it has evolved over the years.
The more I meet or listen to folks who live off the grid, homestead and seek self reliance, the more I believe the meaning of Freedom goes back to what I thought life was supposed to be as a child. Free from the chains of modern day society. Perhaps as a child you simply can't see the chains....Either-way, I am happy my head's finally come back to that point. Have I gone full circle already?
In the beginning we don't care about the way society works, we've got no bills, no attachment to status in the community, no knowledge of an establishment (outside the home) that imposes it's rules on us, no restrain from telling the truth, and so on and so on... I could keep going but I think you all get the point, we were free!
Today with the rise in crypto-currency, the massive exodus out of big cities to live off the land and a revival of the flower power days (same ideology, different music), I hear the words Freedom and Liberty being thrown around a lot. Of course in the political world too...where both The Right and The Left bark their propaganda in the name of Freedom.
My whole life I always thought (deep inside) that something was very wrong with the way we humans live. Were we really conceived to work a job our entire lives? There really is something fishy about that concept.
The steps to slavery as I see them:
- Parents do what parents do...and that's not always pretty
- Standardized schools make you sit for hours on end without being allowed to socialize (for the most part) and force you to learn in only that one standardized way.
- Do good in school you'll have a good job
- Get a high paying job, the gov'ment wants lots of taxes (the more you work, the more they steal! Simple)
- Don't think, keep working 'till you're to old to enjoy life to the fullest
- Die and the tax collector wants his share of the wealth you've given to who you wanted to give it to
In other words, Freedom means I can live my life the way I want to, without government but with respect for myself, respect for my surroundings, self reliance and living with complete awareness of my consequences.
As long as we have, even just a little critical thinking one man can easily respect his neighbor, college, friend, family and anyone. "My boundary ends where yours starts", if this can be achieved without greed and with our future generations in mind, we don't need any type of authority using violence as a means to resolve conflicts.
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Up-Vote, Re-Steem and Reply. Your comments are always welcome!
Don't forget...
#DreamsComeTrue!!!
Hey @senorcoconut! Thank you so much for participating in the #freedomchallenge! It is so true that as a child our perception of the world is so different and the change is gradual and over time. Many of us do not even realize we do not feel free, but have this lingering feeling like you mentioned. How uncanny and yet also so interesting that the change can happen under our nose because of the status quo. I really appreciate your suggestions to keep our future generations in mind. Beautiful!
Thank you for your response it means a lot to me. If only we could stay child like in some ways, keep a sense of humour and still collect wisdom!
I love discovering ways to get in touch with my inner child. Lately my nieces and nephews have been helping me with that, just by being who they are as beautiful souls :)
Haha nice. Yea, kids are good like that. I have a 3 year old keeping me in check!
It's hard though, not getting into a lazy parenting mode...
I agree that pitching the ego's could make this world a much happier place.
Oh my... The ego! Thanks for the reply @warpedweaver. Are you refering to childhood as having less of an overpowering ego?
"Pitching" is like taming the ego or not letting the ego get the better of us, it that about it?
A child really doesn't understand the ego. They just know what they want without knowledge of their own idea of superiority. It is us adults that are taught to have ego, be better than others, be richer than others, to stand above others. Adults are the ones that need to pitch the ego. It is okay to be proud of our accomplishments. There is a difference. Such a touchy subject isn't it?
Yes very touchy. I speak of unschooling sometimes at work and people just don't get it. Succcess is relative.
I would love to be able to go back and live like a carefree child again.
Me too me too...
Well, maybe not go back, but to live like a carefree child. That's my goal. Fantasy or not?
It's a perfectly reachable goal! It doesn't have to ne fantasy...only for those who son't believe!
We share a lot in common in how we view the world. I feel like I could have written this post. Great job!
I recently heard this song again after not hearing it for a long time. John Lennon had it figured out.
Thank you for that comment...that means a lot to me: You could have written this post! I was feeling the same on common views lately.
I will listen to the song tomorrow, when I don't have a bunch of light sleepers around me! I am intrigued.
Good night @canadianrenegade
Wow... finally had some time to really listen to these words!!! Might be one of my favorite songs now.
Workong Class Heroes... aaaah. They're everywhere around me and they don't understand what I say most of the time. I feel bad for them but they don't seem to want out of the matrix... it's frustrating but I fuess at some point I have to accept their personal "comfort" in life....Sad.
Thanks for the song @canadianrenegade