Freedom is...

[pianowolfi]

...when I have the courage to run up to the second floor and tell my neighbour (who is also a pianist)  that I like the harmonies I hear from there right now...
It is just an example. I did not even dare to do that until now.
Because we are only neighbours. And a certain distance ( especially here in Switzerland ) is a "MUST".  Okay whatever, I am intertested in your thoughts about what freedom means to you. What dreams you have about it.

Curiously 

Pianowolfi

[lisztisforkids]

'Freedom just's another word for nothing left to lose'...

[pianistimo]

yes.  it comes at the end of your life when you just don't give a * about what other people think or say.  (just kidding)

seriously, peace of mind must count for something.  and, i think the most peace comes from caring what other people think or say to a certain degree.  maybe it's not taking things to personally and just knowing what you enjoy and what you want to celebrate in your life.

maybe when you see the person (neighbor) next time wolfi, you can just tell them how much you enjoy their playing - and what they played on sunday afternoon was sublime to you.

[preludium]

Freedom is to me when I can be on my own. There's nothing so liberating as loneliness. No more conventional lies of casual life, no need to do smalltalk, to take care of others' ideosyncrasy, to adapt to their satisfaction with simple answers, simple entertainment, fashionable lifestyle. But instead of this the music of Bach, books on philosophy, science, and engineering, thoughts about life in general. My second name is steppenwolf, I guess.

[thalbergmad]

Freedom is to me when I can be on my own. There's nothing so liberating as loneliness.

I completely agree with you here, although i do find my own love for loneliness to be somewhat unhealthy.

Thal

[pianowolfi]

Freedom is to me when I can be on my own. There's nothing so liberating as loneliness. No more conventional lies of casual life, no need to do smalltalk, to take care of others' ideosyncrasy, to adopt to their satisfaction with simple answers, simple entertainment, fashionable lifestyle. But instead of this the music of Bach, books on philosophy, science, and engineering, thoughts about life in general. My second name is steppenwolf, I guess.

Welcome to the club of wolves I love this book.


Freedom is when you can lyao while reading a forum or chatting and nobody feels bothered!   

[elspeth]

Freedom is to me when I can be on my own. There's nothing so liberating as loneliness.

I agree totally with the first sentence but not particularly the second - loneliness can be terrible. Being alone but not lonely would be my preferred interpretation. Independant and happy with myself.

Oddly enough that's what I've spent the weekend doing - had a long weekend, went away for a few days, only told my emergency contacts where I was, switched my phone off and spent the time doing what I wanted to without referring to anyone else... bliss.

Unfortunately in this day and age, I think money has a bearing on freedom. Being out of the rat race would be a part of my definition of freedom... I love and adore my job but it's long, antisocial hours for not much money, so when I think 'I'd like to do...' the limiting factor is very often financial rather than anything else. Even if I won the lottery tomrrow I'd keep working because of how I feel about what I do... but with money comes flexibility and choice, if not freedom as such.

[ramseytheii]

Unfortunately in this day and age, I think money has a bearing on freedom. Being out of the rat race would be a part of my definition of freedom... I love and adore my job but it's long, antisocial hours for not much money, so when I think 'I'd like to do...' the limiting factor is very often financial rather than anything else. Even if I won the lottery tomrrow I'd keep working because of how I feel about what I do... but with money comes flexibility and choice, if not freedom as such.

That's interesting.  If Freedom is not flexilibty and choice, what is it?

Walter Ramsey

[le_poete_mourant]

Freedom is a concept created by the capitalist bourgeoisie to hold down the proletariat.  \\

Seriously, look at history, and freedom is an ideal, an "incentive" offered to certain people and not to others.  Freedom cannot coexist with society because we are all influenced by the societal ideals of what freedom is. 

Freedom, n. 
1.   the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint: He won his freedom after a retrial.
2.   exemption from external control, interference, regulation, etc.
3.   the power to determine action without restraint.
4.   political or national independence.
5.   personal liberty, as opposed to bondage or slavery: a slave who bought his freedom.
6.   exemption from the presence of anything specified (usually fol. by from): freedom from fear.
7.   the absence of or release from ties, obligations, etc.
8.   ease or facility of movement or action: to enjoy the freedom of living in the country.
9.   frankness of manner or speech.
10.   general exemption or immunity: freedom from taxation.
11.   the absence of ceremony or reserve.
12.   a liberty taken.
13.   a particular immunity or privilege enjoyed, as by a city or corporation: freedom to levy taxes.
14.   civil liberty, as opposed to subjection to an arbitrary or despotic government.
15.   the right to enjoy all the privileges or special rights of citizenship, membership, etc., in a community or the like.
16.   the right to frequent, enjoy, or use at will: to have the freedom of a friend's library.
17.   Philosophy. the power to exercise choice and make decisions without constraint from within or without; autonomy; self-determination. Compare necessity (def. 7).

Note that many of these have to do with politics, society, liberty and rights.  Thus the concept of freedom is a creation of civilization.  Much like peace, it is unnatural ; i. e. it goes against natural laws such as survival of the fittest, etc.  Freedom does not exist for much the same reason as socialism (while it may work in theory) does not work: people naturally have to step on somebody to raise themselves up.  This means that, in order to be free, you have to take away someone else's freedom. 

[rc]

Freedom is the knowledge that I have control of my life.

Unfortunately in this day and age, I think money has a bearing on freedom. Being out of the rat race would be a part of my definition of freedom... I love and adore my job but it's long, antisocial hours for not much money, so when I think 'I'd like to do...' the limiting factor is very often financial rather than anything else. Even if I won the lottery tomrrow I'd keep working because of how I feel about what I do... but with money comes flexibility and choice, if not freedom as such.

Money is definitely good to have, but there is also the control over how expensive one lives, controlling how much money is needed to sustain the lifestyle, how much time is required for earning money.  I like being a cheapass .

What gets me are people who live beyond their means.  I knew a guy who had a new truck, always dressed well, giving the appearance that he's doing good, but his fridge was empty and he was $30K in the hole.  He wasn't a slave to his job or 'the system', but a slave to his own indulgence.

[lichristine]

freedom is living for yourself.