Freedom is defined in different ways; however, the most common meaning is the ability to act without the interference of other people. Several philosophers have tried to have varied opinions on the aspect of freedom, but they usually agree that external forces influence the freedom of people. Over the past years, several nations have adopted a democratic system to enhance freedom; however, this practice limits personal freedom. Despite the common thought that freedom is achieved when the majority supports the opinion, freedom is the capability to act freely, devoid of any external influence.
Many people across the globe are not able to experience freedom because others persuade them to perform certain tasks. Spookybuk (2012) notes that “we often follow our fellows passively and have a horror of breaking from our group” (00.03.27). This implies that the leaders or famous people are usually right in their approaches. For instance, currently, people are struggling to believe whether the COVID vaccines are effective or not. As a result, the world leaders, such as the president of the United States, Joe Biden, received vaccination in an attempt to woo the public to believe that the vaccine is safe. However, every human has the capability to use their brain to think. Nevertheless, people tend to listen to the opinions of others regardless of whether the ideas are well thought out or not. As a result, the ideas deprive individuals of the freedom to think, and instead, people follow others blindly. Arguments should be based on reasoning and facts, not the will of the majority. However, one should also be ready to accept the divergent opinions of others.
Additionally, ideas should originate from the brain and not external sources. According to Thorson (2020), “your world is built from the inside of your skull outward, not vice versa”(2). This means that people should embrace thinking, not what others are doing. Instead of depending on others, it is essential to adopt self-reliance. Lack of self-reliance has made many people experience financial challenges especially imposed by the current t lockdown situation brought by the COVID 19. Becoming self-reliant gives an induvial the freedom to experience whatever they want. However, self-reliance can be achieved by staying alone to have a personal reflection. Associating with people often brings interference of thought, and this can deprive people of thinking.
Moreover, people need to have the freedom to enjoy life in their current state. Most Americans work hard so that they can enjoy life in the future. However, nobody is sure about the future and, therefore, it is essential to enjoy life in their present state. This implies that they should learn to live a simple life while at the same time doing what they must to keep them going. Puff (2015) advises people to learn to say no to certain things that do not interest them. In this regard, he encourages people to think of whatever action they are about to take and decide whether they are suitable for themselves. External factors influence most people’s decisions as media. They often tell people what to do and what not to do. This is mainly because they often tend to compete with the neighbors or people, poplar people in whatever people do. As a result, it deprives them of the freedom to exercise self-consciousness.
In conclusion, freedom is the ability to have personal thought that originates from self. In most cases, people usually listen to and adopt the opinions of others without determining whether the idea was well thought of before being shared. However, people should have deep personal thoughts free from any external influence on the issue. They should have time for themselves and always enjoy life without anticipating the future because the future is uncertain and nobody is aware of the end.
References
Puff, R. (2015). Henry David Thoreau: “Simplify, Simplify.” Psychology Today. Web.
Spookybuk (2012). 01 – Socrates on self-confidence – philosophy: A guide to happiness. YouTube. Web.
Thorson, R. M. (2020). What Thoreau’s ‘Walden’ can tell us about social distancing and focusing on life’s essentials. PBS News Hour. Web.