Personal Meditation no. 196

“You can’t outsource freedom.”

Embrace the Within.

As I am apt to do while sitting in Catholic mass, I started thinking about freedom and the reasons folks want freedom. During my time in the Libertarian and libertarian population, I was struck by this criticism of Libertarian and libertarian ideas as being selfish. And I think there is a lot of confusion about wanting what is best for oneself and acting for selfish reasons.

Ultimately, we are all self interested. I wouldn’t be alive without being interested in taking care, providing for, and maintaining my life. I have a vested interest in my self because it is me. That does not mean that my actions are always selfish. And being selfish sometimes is a benefit to others BUT, this is a bit of the nuance I talk about often that I don’t see an understanding of around the whole of society.

I often analyze my reasons for doing things as I think we all should to truly understand why we act and think the way we do. BUT being selfish and acting selfishly can be beneficial to others and should not be written off as a purely bad thing. What is really important for me to look at in my life is the reason I am doing the things and the reasons I want to be free.

Anyone can choose freedom and use it however they please. Children often complain about the rules and wish to do things that are harmful to themselves. They want to stay up later, eat garbage foods, and not bathe because the rules are a hindrance to their good time. And I see a lot of that in Libertarian and libertarian circles, especially the hygiene component, of using their freedom for their own interests and believing that any rules are a hindrance to their freedom. BUT I have always thought my freedom should allow me to help others get free. It is not enough for me to be a lone Mance Rayder. I want everyone to be as free as they want to be. And sometimes their choice of freedom is going to harm them like those kids that want to stay up late eating Flaming Hot Doritos and drinking Monsters. BUT that isn’t my call on how they use their freedom, it is their call.

So, I constantly look at why I am doing the things I do. Am I looking to get famous? Am I looking to get rich? Am I looking out purely for myself? Am I motivated by selfishness or self interest? And I think about those things a lot when I consider my freedom. Why do you want to be free?

Have the day you want. I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.

#ThinkBetter #BeBetter #NoGodsNoMasters #MyBodyMyChoice #MakeYourselfGreatAgain #EmbracetheWithin