What is Freedom to Me?
A weekend's worth of reflection
“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
—Desmond Tutu
Freedom! What does freedom really mean? How do power, flexibility, privilege, immunity, or opportunity relate to freedom, or do they? Who or what does Freedom belong to? Who or what should it belong to? Who gives it, why is it given, and why is freedom taken away? Is it only a right of humans? And on and on and on. I’ve been sitting with these questions for a few days now and especially this Fourth of July weekend.
My contemplation has been met with confusion and left me with more questions and a sense of deeper sadness.
I was able to name what I felt today that does not feel like freedom. What I see and read about does not feel like freedom.
Feeling even more powerless and distressed, the only solution was to understand what was my role? What would make me feel that I was contributing to what I articulate as feeling free—Being able to be who I am with everybody and, more importantly, being able to authentically offer that opportunity to ALL I meet. Reframing my internal conversation felt a bit relieving and hopeful.
To me, freedom is how and who I strive to be personally, with values that are moral and fair, and how I show up in the world despite what I see, hear, read, meet or experience.
More importantly how I open up spaces that are safe for others, my family, friends, colleagues, students and residents, acquaintances and community. An opportunity for us and me to be brave, open and kind and non-judged, just be to belong.
Freedom is not really freedom if it is not underpinned in the belief that each human deserves the right to have a voice, to share their unique story, to be listened to with an ear that is not biased. Freedom is the belief that each human has value and should have the ability to share that value for the better of all humanity. Each needs to be given that opportunity.
Freedom only can be felt when it is felt by all!
Freedom is the basic human kindness to acknowledge another person as a spiritual being who happens to be in a human body, with a lens that is open and inviting. I am reminded of the words by His Holiness the Dalai Lama about world peace, that when each takes care of their neighbor there will be world peace. If we each commit to this basic human kindness irrespective of any qualifiers—even for just one other spiritual being in a human body and any living being—just because it is the right thing, we will be closer to the more authentic feeling of what is means to be free!
I am reminded yet again of the Courage & Renewal Touchstones or rather Touchstars (as they are sometimes known). I especially keep close to my heart these: It’s not right or wrong, it’s just different; When things seem hard or difficult, turn to wonder and curiosity, (don’t judge or stereotype). Thus I will continue to strive to serve.
“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”
—Desmond Tutu#REFLECT: How is this quote related to your personal meaning of the word freedom?
How is the coronavirus and civil unrest around racism changing the way you think of self-care, community and resilience? As this challenging time unfolds, I am posting a quote on this blog with a reflection prompt. Please join in the conversation here or on Twitter with your thoughts or about what you are doing for self-care and care of others. My book explores such ideas too: Resilient Threads: Weaving Joy and Meaning into Well-Being.
In this post, I can clearly see the frustrations and the dilemma of the author. Is freedom simply an individual concern to do as we wish with no concern for other’s feelings or needs?
If someone’s freedom of expression strangles and suffocates the spirit of someone else, is that freedom justified? If someone’s authority and powers provide them freedom to put others at their discomfiture and deprives them of their own space to think and act freely, is that freedom justified?
Freedom is merely a concept that becomes relevant only in relation to others. Whether it is just or unjust depends on how and for what purpose it is used.
We are all born free. We all are also born with some kind of authority and power. Our freedom gives us the choice as to how to use these powers. When we choose to do as we wish, it is called the law of the jungle where might is right.
We are also born as equal but with natural differences of color, forms, gender, and race. We as humans have organized ourselves in families, societies, institutions, and communities so as to regulate the freedom of our choices as well as the authority and power each one of us wields.
As humans our freedom of choices comes with responsibilities and accountabilities. We have also made rules and regulations to govern our choices of actions and behavior. We all have to act within our prescribed limitations. Our freedom to choose does not give us the authority to apply our powers with our whims, biases and discriminations.
Personally, one is always free to choose how to act, behave or think, so long as it does not involve others. What we do with ourselves is exclusively our choice so long as it does not adversely affect others. In our private life we have every right to be what we are, and our behavior may be humane, inhumane or whatever else we may wish. This personal and exclusively subjective freedom is irrelevant so long as it does not affect anyone, humans, non-humans or even the objects in nature.
The concept of freedom and of being human, always comes in context of ‘others’, be they humans, non-humans or the objects in nature. Freedom of actions, reactions and behavior relates to others. With these others, we are not free to act, react or behave as we may think or may wish to do. We all belong to each other where mutuality overcomes individual freedom.
For me, the meaning of freedom is to respect each other’s freedom. We are truly free when we feel free together, to be able to voice our concerns without the fear of being misunderstood or misjudged. Our freedom should not stifle and strangle others, rather it should provide space to ventilate and to grow. We all have to be humans together in our actions and in our behavior.
The value of anything is realized only when one is deprived of it. Freedom is no exception. One knows what freedom means when one feels its loss and deprivation. One appreciates humanity far better when one is subjected to inhuman behavior by others.
This gift of freedom must be used to spread the attitudes of positivity, the empathy and compassion, the care and service, the values of humanity and spirituality such as trust and faith, love and respect. Freedom of our choices should help us to go beyond the attitudes of negativity like bias and discriminations, hate and jealousy, revenge and reprimands.
Wisdom therefore is to live within the limitations of our freedom, to respect each other’s freedom, and to be human with each other in behavior and values.
We should not do to others what we would not like to be done to us. It is in togetherness that we can feel true freedom and behave like true humans.
Love thy neighbor, the world will be a lovely place.
It seems normal to feel frustrated under stifling circumstances and to voice legitimate concerns about the application of right to freedom at various levels of hierarchy in society. While voicing concerns does unburden the mind, unfortunately it neither provides the answers nor the solutions for the indiscriminate behavior and misuse of powers by others.
One has to find one’s own peace, it should not depend on the way others use, abuse or misuse their freedom.