A dream of being free
Is it possible for human to really be free? Free from shackles of society’s norms, contracts, laws and regulations, physical constraints, power, and more. The more I think about it, the more impossible it seems.
Yet, I can’t help to ask myself: “Why do I desire to be free in the first place?” What is it about “free” that I really want and I can’t have right now.
“Freedom is not the absence of commitments, but the ability to choose yours.” — Paulo Coelho
Living life for so many years brought me to the realisation that many events in life are often outside of one’s control. You’re often made to do things against your will, things that are outside your sphere of acceptance, and these things tend to be considered norms in the society. At least, that’s how I felt since young.
I have never developed a keen interest in the subjects that everyone needs to take during our mandatory schooling years. Yet, I have to take them for the sake of “?”. What’s the real reason behind that? The development you as a human that is deemed to be useful with the knowledge, skills and habits learnt at school in preparation of future career and contribution back to the society. So what about contributing back to the society makes it important? Being a participant in the labour market is equivalent to serving as a resource for the economy to produce goods and services for both domestic and international markets. With production of good and services, it helps sustain life ensuring that resources are available for humans to consume (based on their financial ability).
However, being a participant in the labour market, economy, society would mean being subjected to laws and regulations governing the society, contracts governing the purchase and selling of goods and services in the market, and employment contracts and background checks for employment in the labour market. These are only a few examples. There are much more that these. It’s rare to meet someone who can consider all the intricacies of the various constraints that could be restricting us when making a decision. That could result in a situation where one is bound by rule(s) that doesn’t sit well with one’s values and way of life with limited way(s) out due to the contracts and laws in place. The price is always higher for the individual involved in this situation, partly to serve as a deterrent for dropouts, and creating a societal signal of the price or potential lifetime price to pay for non-conformance. It’s inevitable to feel helpless when one’s commitment is not aligned with one’s choice. Every single day seems meaningless. Every chore seems redundant. Every conversation seems superficial.
