Freedom is a double-edged sword. Like a moth to a flame, we are drawn to it and crave it. But when we get too much freedom, it can burn us. Unlimited freedom is isolating and anxiety-provoking. The sage learns to masterfully wield the sword of freedom.
True freedom means that we are alone. We alone decide what we believe, how we act, and who we become. We are responsible for our lives—nobody else. True freedom is both liberating and terrifying.
There is safety in choosing to limit our freedom. We can be mindless zombies, letting others choose our path for us. What happens is not our fault. Nobody can blame us for any wrongdoing. It absolves us of responsibility. But what kind of life would that be?
We must exercise courage to swing the sword of freedom. We must leave the wide road so that we can walk the narrow road. The wide road is paved, comfortable, and known. The narrow road is unpaved, uncomfortable, and unknown.
If we conform, we are walking the wide road. If we do not conform, we are walking the narrow road. The wide road offers us the known. The narrow road offers us the unknown. The wide road offers us answers. The narrow road offers us questions. The wide road is comfortable while the narrow road is quite an adventure. When we walk the narrow road, we encourage others to do the same.
Life has no objective meaning. We alone give life meaning. When we adopt the meaning and values of others, we are reliant on others for our well-being. We lack psychological freedom when we seek praise and avoid criticism. We exercise psychological freedom when our well-being is independent of what others think of us.
To conform is to be dull; to be authentic is to be alive. There is nobody in the world with our unique set of experiences, thoughts, and feelings. May we learn to share our authentic selves with the world. May we masterfully swing the sword of freedom.
