It has been argued that if we have too much freedom, if our great liberties are too much of a good thing, then we actually have too much freedom. There is no doubt that the long sunlight of this golden age of peace and prosperity has been a blessing for the world, but for some, it has also caused a sunburn on the soul – excessive exposure to abundance which has led to indolence, greed, narcissism, and entitlement.
However, even though such people might live in the most politically liberated parts of Earth, the truth is that they are not in fact free as they believe themselves to be. Their own recurring vices are keeping them in a cage of their own making. An individual who is afflicted with a hunger for power or money for its own sake is just what he is: an individual who is afflicted. As a result, he is tormented by an endless desire for more without any reason behind it.
The fact is that he is the most likely to wear a social mask in order to succeed, which in turn causes him to remain unsure of himself and his life, which in turn leads him to obsess about how he can obtain more, why he doesn’t have it already, and whom he will need to become to achieve it.
When a woman is driven by the need for adoration, she never has a moment of pure joy away from her obsession with herself; she is consumed by the quest for youth, beauty, and social acceptance. A person’s endless desire blinds him or her from growth opportunities and alienates others, robbing him or her of the chance to express authentic self-expression and find true love.
A person who believes they should be given everything for nothing will never be free from the feeling of immaturity that comes with envy and contempt towards those who are richer than them. Those who are entitled are perhaps the most caged, slaves to the belief that they owe anything to the world.
It follows then that even in abundant cultures with politically free governments, conformity is still tyrannical and accompanied by inner turmoil. This brings us back to Personal Freedom once again. Having political and financial freedom does not eliminate the cause.
As long as we live in a modern world, we will always be under some form of social pressure, and we will need to remain free of the vanities that characterize the modern world so as to avoid becoming lazy, greedy, and narcissistic caricatures. Our authentic expression of who we are, as well as our enjoyment of life, will always depend on self-mastery and social prowess. We should focus on that, no doubt in freedom.
Read More – A Character is defined by its Action
