The more I think about it, I find freedom is a state of mind. Like Lydia said in a comment here, as long as what a person does feels authentic, a sense of freedom comes naturally. More than what a person actually does, it comes down to a person being authentic in the first place, to staying to true to one's self. I'd think if someone wants to do authentic things, then he'd have to be an authentic being first. (Side note, if you want to know more about authenticity, most of the existential philosophers wrote about it, like Kierkegaard, Heidegger, and Sartre.)
(coutequecoute)
Our society's lack of accepting who we are and being totally cool with ourselves stands in the way of feeling free. We "need" plastic surgery to look better, we "need" to like the right music/movies/food/clothes, we "need" to constantly search for love, we "need" to be busy all the time ('cause if not, we're just lazy — not taking a break). But when it comes down to it, the things that hold us back from true freedom are just a bunch of hullabaloo.
(other photos via fashiongonerogue)
5 comments:
AUUUUGH. I literally just left the longest comment and then BAM, it didn't post.
Summary:
I love reading your posts - they are super insightful. This one was great.
I completely agree with what you're saying. Freedom is definitely a state of mind. I think it comes with acceptance: accepting who you are, where you are, your circumstances, surroundings, etc. Once your able to be happy with what you have and what you can't control, then there is a freedom. Once you are happy with yourself, then you can BE yourself. Maybe.
I don't know - as a high school student, I definitely feel the pressures of society around me. I'm always like, "yeah, after high school, I'll be completely free and myself..." I think that maybe that's the problem many of us face - we're always waiting for our surroundings to change, rather than changing our outlook on our surroundings.
Maybe... I don't know if I'm making sense.
And thanks for your comment! YES! I actually read The Little Prince in French class this year (although, it was Le Petit Prince, haha.) I LOVED IT. My class thought it was the weirdest story ever, but I thought it was fantastic. I definitely want to snag the English version - thanks for the inadvertent reminder.
QUIRKYEXPLOSION.blogspot.com
haha I'm glad it does
these pictures are amazing, especially the first one, I find it so inspirational, the big hat is so beautiful!
freedom really is a state of mind. and being authentic is the road to freedom if you have let all out that needs to be released it makes perfect sense. I always say that after this or after that that I will truly express whatever it is that I am feeling but its really more like I do it know or never but with society not as accpeting its hard to. its good that you started dialogue on this topic.
http://sojournedinstyle.blogspot.com/
You are totally right. Freedom can be so much about attitude. I've had to remind myself constantly this year that being in the program I'm in at school is a choice and a privilege. It's helped to change my attitude, the work is easier to do when I'm forcing myself to feel good about it (and eventually I DO feel good about it)... Also, yours is the first blog I've ever read a Heidegger reference on and that is awesome. Love it. :)
Thanks for the shout out and glad I could help give some perspective. Nice post. Knowing what it means to be authentic and finding some sense of personal freedom can be a constant battle, and you'd think not. You'd think that would come easy. Everybody always want you to be one thing or another, and you have to look past all that.
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