First, read this article on freedom:
https://medium.com/personal-growth/freedom-is-not-about-speaking-up-but-choosing-to-be-silent-c4bfb76e87a7
I love reading articles on Medium. It is often thought provoking and it helps me to reflect on self. Hence most of my articles on li is all about my weaknesses. Lol. People write uplifting stuff while I write my struggles. This blog will never hit high on hits because it’s too self-depreciating, too absorbed by myself, too much angst and the list can go on. That’s why blog is on ‘private’, as in I don’t tell people about it.
No matter how negative this sounds, this blog is also the place for me to process my thoughts, and to also interspersed articles that I read to understand what I am going through.
On the topic of freedom, I struggle with the American’s concept of freedom of speech though I am not living in America. I can’t really pinpoint, but history shows that once the person who pioneered concepts passes on, the next person who takes over will continue the work, but it will be the same because of various factors such as changing times and interpretation of concepts. Also, some people who push for freedom of speech are not responsible for their actions. The thing about freedom of speech is you have the right to believe and say whatever you want to say, at the same time, the other person on the street also have the freedom of speech too. Just because someone believes otherwise, hence you use your “freedom of speech” to cover up conflicting views of others which leads to denying of the person’s rights.
And it is mentioned in the article above:
That’s the biggest paradox of freedom: if nothing restraints how each person behaves, it will be absolute chaos. The bully would be free to enslave the meek. It will eventually mean that only those at the top are free, and those at the bottom — the weak — are not.
Here is the quote by Søren Kierkegaard which explains the disconnect of my understanding of freedom:
“People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use.”
Freedom of thought is hard, because it takes a lot of thinking. As humans, we find it easier to follow, because we don’t have to think. We hardly question authority because that requires thinking (and a lot of other things). Thinking requires us to break out of certain preconceived notions and mould that we are used to be in. Thinking also means challenging our knowledge and biases. Also, freedom of mind and speech is not an entitlement. It’s right for us to be who we are with respect.
And I am pasting these points from the article just in case I want to read it again:
You cannot control everything in life, but not one manages your attitude but you. Learn to self-regulate your freedom — embrace a ‘Mandela’ state of mind
- Accept reality: Don’t fight what you cannot control. Mandela didn’t blame his captors or asked himself: “Why me?” He silenced the voice of self-pity and choose courage instead. He took what life threw at him and turned it into a lesson.
- Respect everyone: Your freedom is not more valuable than other people’s. The belief that liberty is a status, we create hierarchies and divisions. You have rights, like everyone else. Freedom cannot be used as an excuse to bully the weak.
- Have tolerance: Your beliefs can easily blind you. Remember, you define your own boundaries — your freedom ends where your neighbour’s start. Be patient and tolerant of those who think differently. Too many people turn freedom into an excuse for domination.
- Choose silence: In-your-face beliefs are an attack on others, not freedom. You have the right to think what you want and speak up your mind. Free will is not about doing what you can, but to choose what you actually do. To stay silent is an act of courage — choose real freedom.
Playing the amendment card is an act of cowardice. It’s using freedom as an excuse to do whatever we want. Because no one would attack the notion of freedom, we turned it into a shield to hide from any open discussion. However, living in a society has a price: other opinions matter too.
I know it’s hard for me, but I want to work in having the freedom in mindset, not only speech. I know in the previous posts I was so upset with my in-laws, but I will have to try.