Sorry for the break, I had to fix up a couple aspects of my life that, if left un-fixed, threatened to take away something i cared about. Funny that when you are 16, people have that much sway over you. (notice how i don't say control, you will see why in a bit.) Note to all of you out there in the world, It is a BAD idea to threaten someone with not much to lose... especially if you threaten them with something that they care quite a bit about.... *tch* stupid people...
Anywho, onto my main topic. I could be doing the Conscious and Subconscious right now, bit i decided to skip to liberty, and change it to freedom... Bit of a warp eh? So freedom... yes... These days you hear people, (usually the revolutionary types; teens, drunks, teen drunks, failed politicians...) complain how the government is trying to take away their freedom. (well, i here people say these things, though I'm not entirely confident on my sanity. ;) Whenever i hear someone say something along those lines, i feel a sudden urge to explain to them (probably a bit to harshly) that they have freedom, they just don't use it because they are scared of the consequences.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Law of nature it is, True, in this case the government/society conglomerate gets to chose what "equal and opposite" is, but hey, your choice. I find this a wonderful example were someone uses our pre-disposition for self-preservation for their own gain.
I guess that the only way to actually take away all of someones freedom is to kill them, and, if you belong to one of the many religions that believe in life after death, even then you are free, (see Suicide Bombers) so i guess it is all about interpretation. again...
Mankind are governed more by their feelings than by reason.
Samuel Adams
*note* i am not condoning suicide bombers, i just see the loophole. that is all. they are still massmurdering idiots.
ReplyDeleteI agree (almost) completely. I'm just as sick of people who're too chicken to say or do what they should do/want to do, and face the consequences.
ReplyDeleteBut of course, this doesn't include what I call genuine curtailment of freedom. For example, let's say there is a party I want to go to, and my parents don't permit me. If they threaten to ground me if I go, they're giving me the freedom to choose what I want to do and face the consequences. If they lock me up in my room so I can't go to the party, they're curtailing my freedom.
And about the suicide bombers, I have no clue what to say. I wonder if they're subject to a sane discussion, since they are so obviously insane.
Funny indeed. Somehow, I imagine, that even when one isn't 16, there are all kinds of groups with 'sway', or influence, or if you prefer a 'very deep influence over what you do'. That could be your friend's, your co-workers, your boss, you boyfriend/girlfriend, politician's, teacher's, police officer's, the government, etc.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to see more on the topic of 'stupid people' xD
As for Suicide Bombers. I think it is a bit like bringing up Adolph Hitler in a conversation or debate. The conversation/debate immediately ends. (see Godwin's Law). If I were to be so deluded into thinking if I were to strap come C4 to my chest, walk into a group of poeple, and blow myself up, that I'd be rewarded with 'Heaven' and 40 virgins and the like, I think I could probably be swayed to do just about anything in the name of my religion.
@Mythreyi - I don't think people are afraid (at least not always). You can't always do 100% of what you want to do, or say 100% of what you want to say. There are consequences to those types of actions, and generally they are negative ones. Even if you sit on the pedestal of being 'honest'.
@mythreyi-do you have a window? or a way to break down the door? you still have your freedom...
ReplyDelete@anonymous- I agree wholeheartedly with... well everything you said. :P
I should probably say that i'm not saying that you *should* do these things, but that you *can*.
ReplyDelete@Anonymous
ReplyDeleteYou're right. It's not always fear of the consequences. But when you are given two choices, and the consequences for each choice, ultimately it is your choice. You may feel you're being forced to make certain choices, because the consequences of the other are unacceptable to you, but it is still your choice.
What sometimes annoys me is when people whine about the choices they were forced to pick because the alternative was unacceptable to them.
I'll take the same example as before. If I can either go to that party, or be grounded, the choice is still mine. If I decide that I don't want to be grounded, then there's no point in me whining about how I couldn't go to the party.
(I know it doesn't always work this way, but sometimes it does.)
@Apathetic Me
The point here is that the choice is not given to me. I'm not free to make the choice.
(I know my examples are mundane, but I find explaining myself really tough sometimes, and I can't seem to think up a more sophisticated example.. :/ )