[dandarsford]

Is freedom important?

[Belowski]

It is a fact of life that we have free will. To imagine that we don't have freedom and choice is to live in denial. It isn't healthy for the individual or others around them, because maintenance of contentment is not possible if we rely on others in a society that does not always maintain perfection. Without freedom, the optimum that could be achieved is to maintain society as it is and even that wouldn't be possible as we can all make mistakes. It would necessarily lead to collapse on a personal and societal level.

It has been found in psychology research that people who have a high "locus of internal control" are happier than people who don't. Essentially such people hold the view that they are personally free and responsible for the outcomes in their own lives. The corollary is that there is a lower need to try to alter or depend on other people to compensate for what might be perceived as a lack of choice in their own lives. This also tends to have a gentle and positive influence on the lives of others around. We do have freedom and choice. To imagine otherwise is to live in denial and be subject to all of the kinds of dysfunction that sometimes occur in individuals and society as a whole.

The status quo does not need to continue, with people often being effectively being in conflict with themselves or as this translates to a more group level, community conflicts and wars. We do have freedom and choice, to hold and maintain harmony for ourselves and consequently have a gentle positive influence on those around us. Yes, they're important and they're already there. But they are not necessarily expressed in terms that tend to get reinforced in present day society which tends to undervalue intangibles and place a disproportionate emphasis on things like possessions and status that have lesser bearing on well-being and quality of life. True freedom and choice are more of an internal thing and are only consistent and maintainable when it's recognised that it applies to other sentient beings as well. They are a necessary part of the foundation for harmony and integration and wholeness on a personal and universal level.

Even on a personal level, at least 21 senses, emotions, thoughts, experiences, perceptions, core values, environment, dreams of the future all personal and unique. All mainly processed subconsciously and potentially subject to the conflicts and whims and desires and limited views of reality conveyed by an external society. There is no one else has either the expertise or the insight to decide what's right for the individual and how to navigate and understand these things except for the individual who stands as their own witness and functions themselves. Freedom and choice are essential to accept and understand who and what we really are, how reality really is, the opportunities revealed and what works.

[SnoochToTheBooch]

it is as important as anything I can think of.

[dandarsford]

(Original post by SnoochToTheBooch)
it is as important as anything I can think of.

Why? Isn't it just a modern bias?

[SnoochToTheBooch]

(Original post by dandarsford)
Why? Isn't it just a modern bias?

hey I like it, and wish I had more of it. if freedom isn't up your street then fair enough, but I don't want to live in north korea.

[dandarsford]

(Original post by SnoochToTheBooch)
hey I like it, and wish I had more of it. if freedom isn't up your street then fair enough, but I don't want to live in north korea.

I think as happiness is subjective, freedom is not required to be content in life.

[SnoochToTheBooch]

(Original post by dandarsford)
I think as happiness is subjective, freedom is not required to be content in life.

I strongly disagree with this. We are all controlled far more than most of us even recognise, and it burns me up because we absolutely do suffer from it. We're prevented from doing so many things in life that would harm nobody, because of outdated traditions, superstitions, ignorances. If there's one thing in this world we need less of it's people telling other people how they should be living their lives. I find this quite a bizarre question to even ask actually, I've never heard anyone say something like this, I mean, deprivation of freedoms is used as the harshest punishment our society has deemed acceptable (prison). All the ****tiest things in history are to do with this - the nazis, religions, slavery and so on.