On True Freedom

Everybody has some idea of what freedom means. Since a nine-to-five job is so common, you may be inclined to say that freedom means to have a job with flexible hours, or to be your own boss. Other things that are often associated with freedom are financial independence, freedom of speech, dressing however you like, or even living completely off-grid in a self-sufficient community. Whatever freedom means to you, it probably comes down to simply being able to do whatever you want, without others ruling over you.

However, these forms of freedom are often conditional and dependent on external factors. A government might grant freedom of speech, but that freedom can be revoked. Financial independence might provide security, but it relies on markets, employers, or clients. Even the ideal of being your own boss is not universally achievable; the world requires people to do all kinds of jobs, many of which depend on teamwork and schedules to function. In this sense, freedom as we commonly understand it often remains an ideal—one that is subject to the whims of others or circumstances beyond our control.

If the things we so commonly associate with freedom are not entirely within our control, then, in a sense, we won't ever truly be free; we still have others ruling over us, deciding whether we can enjoy freedom or not. A very depressing thought indeed.

Thankfully, the human mind possesses the faculty of reason—the ability to think critically, make choices grounded in logic, and align actions with values and principles. We applied reason to identify that freedom is to buy, work, dress, or speak as we please. We further used reason to determine that those forms of freedom in fact depend on things beyond our control, and thus we can't ever be completely free to enjoy them. Now, we must use reason once more to understand how we can truly set ourselves free.

To become free, we must first let go of desires for things beyond our control, as we have already clearly established that we cannot be free to enjoy them. Similarly, we must also let go of our aversions to things beyond our control, as we are not free to prevent them from happening. Things beyond our control must become indifferent to us altogether—neither chased after nor feared, but accepted as they come.

Once we let go of desires and aversions tied to external factors, we must turn inward and define the virtues within our control by which we want to live, such as justice, courage, temperance, and wisdom. Justice can guide your interactions with others, temperance helps you maintain balance, courage enables you to face challenges, and wisdom informs your decisions. By learning to only desire alignment with these virtues, and to only have aversion to deviating from these virtues, we can become truly free.

"But what good are these virtues if I still can't sleep as long as I want?"

Of course, enough sleep is important. But if you're trying to get more sleep than you need, or going to bed too late, I don't see you practising temperance as well as you should.

"But my job requires me to work long hours, and I don't have much personal time left at the end of the day!"

Then find another job if you can, even if it requires you learning a new skill. That's within your control. And if you can't, then be grateful you're holding the only job that you can to maintain your expenses. Or be willing to simplify your lifestyle, letting go of possessions and learning to find contentment in less.

"And how am I supposed to uphold justice if the goverment won't allow me to say or do what I need? They will jail me if I do!"

What about your courage? Isn’t this the moment to act on it? If you truly believe the rules imposed by your government conflict with justice, you shouldn’t let the fear of jail time hold you back. They may take away your freedom to go where you please, but in standing for justice, you preserve the freedom that is truly yours: courage and integrity.

"But what good am I for justice if I end up in jail?"

That's yours to consider. If you're committing greater injustice by being locked up than by not doing the thing that would get you locked up, then don't do that thing. It would be contrary to wisdom if you did.

Ultimately, true freedom lies in mastering your own mind, not in mastering your circumstances. By aligning with virtue, you unlock a freedom that no one—not even the harshest external forces—can take away.