What is “Freedom” for you?

[Norexan]

I thought that was safety?

Actually no. Freedom will exist if you have a will to do whatever you want without any limits.
Unfortunately everything in the universe is bind by some laws and therefore freedom doesn't exist.
Freedom is just a state of mind to go further.

 

[Avocado]

We have discovered that power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. So we limit power through liberal democracy and human rights to maximise freedom.

You like Bernie Sanders.

 

[rav3n]

My conception of freedom will be realized in a few years, once my husband has retired. We'll be purchasing a relatively isolated rural forested property and getting off the electric grid through renewable energy, still buying consumables from organic farms but supplementing with garden grown produce.

 

[Luminous]

I haven't read all the responses yet as I wanted to write my own thoughts without having them be influenced by others' posts...so I apologize if I repeat ideas.

The most important aspect of freedom for me is the freedom and ability to be my own compass and to act on my own volition - to determine my own thoughts, emotions, morals, beliefs, values, etc myself without having anyone try to force them on me. I think we don't really get to choose all those things exactly, since some are the results of others (like beliefs), but we do discover them within ourselves. I think this is why for most of my life the idea of being committed to an institution has been terrifying. And I have never liked the idea of doing a lot of alcohol or drugs. I resisted trying antidepressants for longer than I wish I would have because I didn't want something external forcing change on my internal.

I think Maslow's hierarchy of needs relates here in that once a need is sufficiently met, we are free to move onto the next level. So after my physical needs for basic survival, money, safety, and security are met, I'm free to seek out relationships and respect and self-actualization. In a sense, it's freedoms built on freedoms. So maybe that's party why you never feel it's fully attained... there's always something more to reach for.

Then again, I don't ever want to feel completely free. For me, I think that would mean I had no important relationships. Even though I really don't feel a deep sense of obligation toward anyone (at least right now the things I do for others are things I do because I want to do them, not just because there's a nagging voice somewhere telling me I have to do them or should do them), I know that if I were to do certain things, I would hurt some people. I don't want to hurt those people, so I don't feel free to do those things... I'm valuing those people over my freedom to do those things. By having a hierarchy of values, you're sometimes going to have to sacrifice your freedom to act on one when you choose to hold another higher.

 

[Luminous]

Freedom is holding a true belief and confidence in yourself, that you can achieve what you put your mind towards, that the only thing standing in your way, is yourself. Removing those fears and hesitations, and shutting out the naysayers and those that attempt to hold you back because of their own insecurities. Their insecurities are their own, not yours to suffer through with them.

You will only go so far as your dreams will allow, so what's stopping you?

Just saw this today and what you said here reminded me of it, "“They tell you to develop a thick skin so things don’t get to you. What they don’t tell you is that your thick skin will keep everything from getting out, too. Love, intimacy, vulnerability.

“I don’t want that. Thick skin doesn’t work anymore. I want to be transparent and translucent. For that to work, I won’t own other people’s shortcomings and criticisms. I won’t put what you say about me on my load.”"
(from here)

 

[Typh0n]

Actually no. Freedom will exist if you have a will to do whatever you want without any limits.
Unfortunately everything in the universe is bind by some laws and therefore freedom doesn't exist.
Freedom is just a state of mind to go further.

Is Cthulhu a part of this universe?

If no, then he is not bound by any laws and therefore can be said to be free.

If yes, then he is still pretty damned powerful.

Regardless of whether he is acting in the universe or beyond it, Cthulhu triumphs. Be like Cthulhu.

 

[devaf]

Oh! We can talk of so many things here. Political freedom, freedom from so many things, pain, disease, poverty, abuse. We can consider a state of beatitude unaffected by any circumstance. Or, the Braveheart Scotsman's last cry (from the Mel Gibson move).

But I daresay that being on TypoC, its gotta be freedom from our own typological predilections, something like the freedom [MENTION=3325]Mole[/MENTION] has attained.

Cheers!

 

[Norexan]

Is Cthulhu a part of this universe?

If no, then he is not bound by any laws and therefore can be said to be free.

If yes, then he is still pretty damned powerful.

Regardless of whether he is acting in the universe or beyond it, Cthulhu triumphs. Be like Cthulhu.

I am talking about physical limits and laws.

 

[Typh0n]

I am talking about physical limits and laws.

I know you were, so was I.

 

[Mole]

Oh! We can talk of so many things here. Political freedom, freedom from so many things, pain, disease, poverty, abuse. We can consider a state of beatitude unaffected by any circumstance. Or, the Braveheart Scotsman's last cry (from the Mel Gibson move).

But I daresay that being on TypoC, its gotta be freedom from our own typological predilections, something like the freedom @Mole has attained.

Cheers!

A Mole! A Mole! A Mole!

 

[Yuurei]

You now how a lot of fictional characters have their "Thing?" Their weird little beliefs which they ramble about, beliefs on topics that most people don't even give much thought to?
Well, here's my cue;


I find freedom simply in my own free will ( does that sound redundant.)
Everything we do, every time you make a decision to enact our will upon the world we are choosing to accept both good and bad.
Every time I've made a mistake, every time I get caught. I relish it. Because I made the decision to do something. I could have just as easily not done it. But even the consequences, no matter how shitty, happen because I acted. I took control. To take responsibility for one’s actions is the greatest expression of free will, when people refuse to do so I see it as an afront to that gift which only humans have..

An extension of this is the freedom over my own mind. The phrase " We are all masters of our own universe." was not coined by Rick and Morty. It's been around for a while and it's something I strongly believe in.
I have never understood those who are overly emotional, who react to and express everything and then blame circumstances. No, circumstances cannot MAKE you react in any sort of way.
I feel freedom in my own stoicism. The world can throw all kinds of shit at me and it can't FORCE me to feel something, it can't FORCE me to react on any emotions that I do feel.

 

[Smilephantomhive]

Just being able to make informed choices.

 

[Lark]

I was thinking about this the other night, I was watching a reality TV which has people watching TV shows combined with clips from the show and their reaction, they had a politician who does shows, he has previously focused on trains, like a lot of UK elite pundits or figures lately (or so I think), but this one was about huge abandoned buildings.

Anyway, he went into a huge abandoned prison, he did a lot of talking about how he had recurrent nightmares about being locked up in prison and the people viewing at home went wild laughing about that saying that there had to be guilt for something because people dont have recurrent dreams about things never likely to happen to them, like crashing a space rocket or something, as those things never occur to them.

The thing was the actual cell that he went into looked alright, it had a bunk, bathroom, it was for a single person, I've actually stayed (and not for a short time even) in accomodation which was about the same size or smaller and didnt have an en suite bathroom, it had a study desk and all too, it actually reminded me of some small purpose made student accomodation I've seen on the more cheap ass, poverty NI university campuses.

I actually watched it and thought to myself, wait, I could really make that work, its not too different to the existence the guy had in The Vault in LOST, which is one of my things actually as I'd like to live like that if I could, at least as an experiment.

It made me think about what the nature of freedom is and how it is valued, how much or how little deprivation of liberty in institutions resembles or does not resemble life in the everyday for some people. Especially for those people who are most likely to wind up in and out of prison. I heard about a prison in the UK that at a head count they discovered additional people as someone had put a ladder up against the wall and people had snuck in. Freedom could not have meant much to those people if they were sneaking into prison.

When I think of most people I know, if its ever come up in conversation, the free of prisons is not about the actual loss of freedom, to roam or anything else, its generally been about being landed in the constant and close company of a bunch of criminals liable to do criminal things to you, which is pretty different to any concern about freedom. Anyway, just some thoughts for the Freedom thread. Dont think its off topic.