Freedom: What it Means to be Free

There are many ways to define freedom and here is a more interesting one. The greatest form of freedom is that of being responsible and the greatest form of responsibility is that of being free.

Source: Each Other

The dictionary defines freedom as The power or right to act, speak or think as one wants. Moreover, it defines responsibility as The state or fact of having a duty to deal with something or of having control over someone. Clearly, with freedom comes a sense of responsibility and vice versa. Freedom and control go hand in hand. Nonetheless, most people think that them being allowed to do whatever it is they want, in whichever manner and to whichever extent, is freedom. However, where is the control in this? There is a very thin line between chaos and freedom and the latter could easily become the former.

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Freedom

Source: BCHA

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What does it mean to be truly free? First, one needs to fully understand what it is they want liberty from and to. This is why people living with addiction are captives. This is why people with no sense of control (self-control included) over something or someone are captives. Freedom is having the capacity to do something that is required of you in the right manner and in the required quantity. Overdoing something in the name of freedom is purely bad manners and it is enslaving oneself or others. Leaders who overstretch their roles and boundaries end up enslaving their subjects.

Freedom and Responsibility

For one to be truly free they ought to understand that they have a certain duty or responsibility to fulfil. Equally important, where responsibility lacks, freedom lacks. Besides, one cannot be responsible over something or someone without having some form of power or right over them.

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Source: Ave Mateiu

In addition, freedom means being able to strike a balance between power and control. Freedom cuts across doing whatever it is one feels is right for them to do. To be free is to be disciplined enough to know that it is not only a matter of what one wants to do but why one wants to do it. To be free is to have the right purpose, intent and control to do something.

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