Play the song. Enjoy! Slowly start reading the note. Don't even try to cheat and read without listening to Whatever by Oasis. OK, got the positive note? Good! You are allowed to continue.
"I'm free to be whatever I
Whatever I choose
And I'll sing the blues if I want
I'm free to say whatever I
Whatever I like
If it's wrong or right it's alright"
As you probably noticed I haven't posted any blog note for a while. I know many of you were impatiently waiting for my input but I was occupied with the research and expanding my social circle. I got the chance to meet very cool people who had many interesting things to say. We had several discussions about different aspects of freedom and independence. And you know what? I got to the following conclusions:
- You have as much freedom as you fight for.
- Others have as much freedom as you give them.
Let me explain the two points. As for the first one, it is about overcoming external limitations and boundaries that others put on you. If you think about it, limitations are everywhere around you. They are imposed by the laws of physics, legal systems, religion, society, yourself. Laws of physics are out of discussion, because you're unlikely to change them. Legal systems can be changed but that takes a lot of effort and support of others. Religion - you either follow or you don't. So we are left with society and yourself. I believe that when it comes to your own boundaries they are mostly shaped by the society. In the worst case, they are the result of some unpleasant events and memories associated with past experiences.
I think that while some social laws make sense, many of them kill creativity, independence, and are generally harmful. For example, many people believe that the only way of life is: education, college life, 9-to-5 work, retirement. When I tell them that the life can be much more interesting and adventurous they are puzzled at first. When I give them concrete tips on how to get more freedom and independence, they are rather resistant to changes and often find excuses. As a result, they still have their dreams, but they don't do everything they could do to be free and pursue the dreams. In that case, their freedom is limited and they don't fight for more, although it's technically possible. Are dreams really worth sacrificing them for a stable life? Think and answer the question for yourself!
Alright, the second point. It basically exploits the first one, but reverses the roles. Now you're the person who imposes restrictions on others. One specific case is the way others treat you. Basically, they treat you in the way you want to be treated. If you give people around you too much freedom, they will simply walk all over you. On the other hand, if you give them no freedom at all, they will most likely see you as a boring person who can't even understand jokes. By knowing how much freedom to give, you can be seen as someone who is in control of the situation, but also someone who is fun and sociable.
This is my very short take on freedom. One could talk about the topic for hours, or summarize it in the great song by Oasis. Let me know if you have any thoughts on freedom!
