The Illusion of Freedom - Are we really free today? \ stacker news ~meta

The Illusion of Freedom - Are we really free today?

412 sats \ 28 comments \ @Taft 27 Mar meta

Today I read a Fyodor Dostoyevsky quote posted by @0xbitcoiner on Stacker Saloon: “The best way to keep a prisoner from escaping is to make sure he never knows he’s in prison.”

It made me think and some questions came to my mind:

Do we ever ask ourselves if we’re really as free as we think we are?

Or if we’re just programmed to believe we are?

Or if we’re conditioned to be ignorant of the truth and falsely believe we are free?

In my opinion, the reality is that nowadays we lack freedom. We are enslaved by an oppressive system.

view all related items

76 sats \ 13 replies \ @justanumber 27 Mar

conditioned to be ignorant of the truth and falsely believe we are free? In my opinion, the reality is that nowadays we lack freedom. We are enslaved by an oppressive system.

You would be correct in your assumptions. But believe we can start to free our mindset and then work on physically and materially. It's a work in progress that takes time to work through and shed the programming.

32 sats \ 0 replies \ @kepford 27 Mar

You wrote what I was thinking. Important lessons here. I'll add, focus first one what you can change before focusing on things outside of your control. Also don't get distracted by trying to "figure it all out". Who did what can become a distraction and a seductive one.

33 sats \ 1 reply \ @Taft OP 27 Mar

You would be correct in your assumptions. But believe we can start to free our mindset and then work on physically and materially. It's a work in progress that takes time to work through and shed the programming.

Yes, I agree that what matters is the freedom of will and a freedom mindset, but living in living in a modern society where is propagated a sort of freedom that in reality is enslavement, cultivating a freedom mindset is quite difficult, but not impossible.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber 27 Mar

living in a modern society where is propagated a sort of freedom that in reality is enslavement

agree, so many clueless folk completely obvious to their enslavement while thinking they're free. But, conversely, there are many claiming to be free and "awake" that I feel are still enslaved and living in abstract fear. Rather than being caught up in the entertainment, media, politics & war psyops, their time is consumed with watching endless fear-mongering and "conspiracy porn". In fact, sometimes they're still taken in by the pysops (old habit die hard). Like @kepford says, if we can focus on what positive actions we can achieve and control. Realise they're all offers and we don't have to take them. We can reject the fiat shiz that's offered up to us - or at least pick and choose and exercise our free will.

115 sats \ 9 replies \ @DarthCoin 27 Mar

We are enslaved by an oppressive system.

It is slavery by consent... https://www.bitchute.com/video/ozLXXrmodVNM/

The believe in a government is the most dangerous superstition.

21 sats \ 8 replies \ @Taft OP 27 Mar

The system is oppressive anyway, but yes, you are right, it's slavery by consent.

The believe in a government is the most dangerous superstition.

Yes, absolutely. But you would agree with me that it is difficult to not believe the government after all that shit and propaganda that is thrown towards us by them.

You have to be strong or, using one of your favorite words, you have to be brave.

353 sats \ 1 reply \ @DarthCoin 27 Mar

I would say in this order: wise, brave and strong.

Wise

Learn how to do it (not everybody knows how to rebut the authority properly)

Brave

Have the courage to do it (even if you know how to do it, you need balls to do it. Not everybody have balls)

Strong

To stand your ground, NO MATTER WHAT, even if you are threatened with jail or death, you stand your ground. It is only freedom or death. If you know that the truth is on your side, you have nothing to worry.

I was in that situation many times

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Taft OP 27 Mar

That's true!

33 sats \ 5 replies \ @justanumber 27 Mar

But you would agree with me that it is difficult to not believe the government after all that shit and propaganda that is thrown towards us by them.

Yes I agree it's difficult. I didn't send my kids to school and the conversations I have had, over the years, with normies who just cannot grasp the simple concept of not attending a state institution.. It's absolutely staggering how difficult it is for them to comprehend children having a life free of indoctrination and being able to develop their own independent thought, learn and discover what they want and are interested and passionate about. It seems like they are absolutely terrified of that!! I mean, WOW the matrix did a real number on them! It's confused the heck out of me because I don't get why they wouldn't think it's a fantastic idea, but no! 😂 I am starting to scratch the surface of something way deeper than I personally have time to go. I'll just say, we are programmed pretty much from birth or even still in the womb!

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber 27 Mar

15 sats \ 3 replies \ @DarthCoin 27 Mar

I'll just say, we are programmed pretty much from birth or even still in the womb!

Exactly that

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber 27 Mar

Heart breaking image 😓

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Taft OP 27 Mar

Modern reality

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @justanumber 27 Mar

Modern reality

How modern? It's been going on for a long while but then, in the grand scheme of things, "school" is a relatively new concept. I guess it depends how far back you're thinking.

30 sats \ 1 reply \ @03d99caedc 27 Mar

10 sats \ 0 replies \ @Taft OP 27 Mar

Well said, Piglet! 👏👏

22 sats \ 1 reply \ @0xbitcoiner 27 Mar

Your questions are thought provoking. I will try to answer some of them.

Freedom can be seen in many ways, such as freedom of movement and freedom of thought. We live in a society that imposes limitations on us, such as laws and social norms, but I have no doubt that we, as individuals, have a lot of freedom of choice.

The idea that we are programmed to believe that we are free is partly true because we are influenced by the society we live in. Social expectations can condition our choices. However, we have the ability to question these norms and choose our own path.

32 sats \ 0 replies \ @Taft OP 27 Mar

Yes, absolutely. We have a lot of freedom of choice, it takes true strength to stand up against the influence of government propaganda and societal norms. One must be courageous enough to make his own choices and follow his own path, regardless of the pressures around him. I think that the most successful people in history were those who dared to go against the grain and forge their own way by making their own choices.

344 sats \ 0 replies \ @DarthCoin 27 Mar

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @NoStranger 27 Mar

This post reminded me of the phrase: "Your freedom ends where mine begins".

Those are my personal thoughts:

I think there's way too many people who don't/can't even realize their freedom is being trampled in any way, or worse, decide to stay caged while being well aware of the situation with some weird excuse.

What can I do to fix that? Probably nothing. My goal in life is not to change people or the world, but to live a leisure life with no trouble.

What I see as a definition of "lack of freedom" is simply anything others can do for their own personal gain, usually when seeking money, fame or control. If you try to think of some ways to obtain something, even with the most peaceful approach and then, you just push it a bit, you should see a pattern.

As for what I consider as a programmed behavior in our DNA, there's, probably among many others, the act of "lying".

It was also observed in other primates, when their social structure tends to break easily, the individual will rely on lying to have a better chance of survival. Why tell others where the food is if I might split from them the next day? (Example taken from an experiment done on monkeys from a video I've seen long ago).

My way of doing things is simply: keeping a distance from anything that can harm me, help others if I'm able to and never expect anything from anyone. With this, I can coexist with others, anything else must be done by and for myself alone, including the act of gaining freedom.

If you're aware of what in your life is being taken over by others, then you should be "free" to fix it yourself.

Also, taking decisions for other individuals of what freedom is and how to act can also be seen as a way of taking control of others, like how the government deceives or the mafia suppresses other people for their own gains.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @oraltosun 27 Mar

It takes effort to be free. People in general are prone to laziness. So the majority is not free.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @oliverweiss 27 Mar

I guess there are different levels of freedom. As being exposed to communism in the past, I feel I am much more free than before, it’s not perfect though.

0 sats \ 4 replies \ @alevu 27 Mar

Are you more free if you are in a place without strong institution to ensure infrastructure and basic services for everyone ? If you are financially well off and can develop your own infrastructure and pay for the services you need maybe. But you still most likely rely on existing infrastructure and require workers to be healthy and educated.

Not sure this would be an improvement for the happiness of most peoples if you have freedom but no opportunities.

100 sats \ 3 replies \ @DarthCoin 27 Mar

a place without strong institution to ensure infrastructure

Why do you need a "strong" institution to build it for you? People build infrastructure not governments. When we will stop this bullshit with "we need gov to build the roads" ?

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @alevu 28 Mar

All of them are construct if you really want to go that way.

I don't have a place in mind without strong institution that have sufficient infrastructure to develop the economy. Government is just the mechanism how we find compromise between public and private interest. Does not mean the mechanism cannot be changed.

We can also see what happen when the institution fail in country like Haiti.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @DarthCoin 28 Mar

Haiti is a really bad example of "failing institutions". You can't name working institutions in a super corrupt environment. The violence that erupt from that corruption is not a real anarchy society. People wrongfully confuse chaos and violence with anarchy... totally wrong.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @alevu 15 Apr

The corruption is part of the failure from the institutions, not an external factor imho. It can even be by design. Lack of safeguard to prevent these issues.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @MadBudha 27 Mar

There are certainly levels of freedom. As the quote suggests just feeling liberty is a kind of blissful ignorance. 15 years ago I moved from Texas to Belize largely to pursue this feeling of freedom. Conditioning plays a huge role in accepting less and less freedom. The most difficult part of it is finding others who have discovered their conditioning and have begun to remedy it. Until you find face to face people to speak freely of these issues likely you may feel alone in these thoughts but you are not alone. I suggest this podcast. It is very good and focused on cognitive liberty. https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/peacerevolution