I think about freedom a lot. I've always believed that freedom is the highest human aspiration. I've watched babies struggle to escape the grip of their parents, even though to escape would endanger them, even though they wouldn't have any idea of what to do if they escaped. I've watched co-workers struggle to escape the grip of their supervisors, even though to escape might endanger the business' product, even though to escape could lead to termination. I've watched (on television) rebellions and civil unrest in the name of freedom, even though success might lead to worsening conditions, even though success might lead to worse repression. I could go on and on about the comfort of the status quo, the dangers of freedom, but the struggle for freedom continues everywhere, in every heart.
One of my earliest favorite movies was High Sierra, with Ida Lupino and Humphrey Bogart. It concerned a career criminal who spoke of "crashing out" or escaping from prison. At the end, the criminal is killed and Ida Lupino asks a policeman what does it mean to "crash out". The officer replies that to "crash out" is to be free. In the movie, this was a happy realization, the realization that the criminal was finally free. Freedom in this case equaled death. So why was freedom sought after?
Freedom, both physical and psychic, is joyous because it heightens our senses, it enables us to live (or die) in an elevated state of consciousness, it empowers us to do our best. Freedom promotes use of the imagination, encourages creativity. In societies which aren't free, little is accomplished, life is dark and gloomy, it's difficult to keep going. The same thing is true in our individual lives: When we're free, we soar, when we're in chains, we stagnate.
The problem with freedom is the responsibility it carries with it. If we're truly free, we're truly responsible for what happens to us, for the results of our choices. That's a hard thing to bear. If we're responsible for everything that happens, if we have no one to blame but ourselves, no one to complain to, it makes life harder for many people. For many people, freedom from responsibility is the highest form of freedom.
My wish is for us to seek freedom but take responsibility for what we do. Use your freedom to help others and yourself. Enjoy freedom and use it to do your best in whatever you do. In that way, everyone's freedom will lead to the best for all. |
