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“Freedom is not a reward or a decoration that you toast in champagne. On the contrary, it's hard graft and a long-distance run, all alone, very exhausting. Alone in a dreary room, alone in the dock before the judges, and alone to make up your mind, before yourself and before the judgement of others. At the end of every freedom there is a sentence, which is why freedom is too heavy to bear.”
–Albert Camus, The Fall (1956)
Freedom is being true to yourself, whatever the cost, like Nelson Mandela, 27 years in prison, before he set others free. And Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. who spoke his truth to power and paid with his life, after setting others free and his words still show us a path to freedom. Tyrants may control our bodies but never our minds. They belong to us and we can still see freedom in our mind’s eye and feel it and remember it or even just imagine it.
In today's world it has become extremely difficult to walk freedom road and be a man of nowhere. I still believe it's worth being courageous and giving it a shot. Camus reminds me to have courage when I just want to despair.
Your reflection on freedom is profound, drawing on the lives of Mandela and King, who stood as beacons of courage, embodying the truth that even in the face of oppression, the human spirit can remain unshackled. They remind us that true freedom isn't merely about the absence of physical chains, but the liberation of the soul, the mind, and the conscience.
Yet, as you seek to walk the road of freedom in a world that often feels constraining, it's essential to remember that ultimate freedom transcends the limitations of this world. While tyrants may exert control over our bodies, they cannot reach the depths of our souls where true freedom resides. This freedom comes from God, who offers not only liberation from external forces but from the internal chains of fear, despair, and sin.
God's freedom is ultimate because it is rooted in truth and love, which no power on earth can take away. It is the freedom to live authentically, to be true to the person He created you to be, regardless of the cost. As you walk this challenging road, remember that God's presence is with you, offering the courage you need to keep going, even when the journey seems impossible.
In the words of the Psalmist, "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1). Trust in this divine strength, and let it guide you as you pursue a freedom that not only liberates you but also brings light to others.
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I totally agree with you, excellent comment.
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Yes, excellent comment thanks to ChatGPT 😂😂
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21 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford 3 Sep
On the contrary, it's hard graft and a long-distance run
To my modern eyes I read graft as a trick, gimmick, or scam but I believe the meaning is hard work.
In my view freedom is choice. And it is a choice. It starts in the mind but is lived out with your hands and feet. With it comes responsibility for one's self. Its also not a boolean. You are either moving closer to freedom or further away. I'm not sure one actually ever arrives. Many seem to think freedom is synonymous with self sufficiency. The later is not a goal many desire. I am one of them. I need other people and other people need me. We are communal beings, we are better together. We can be together and still be free. We are strongest when we each tend to ourselves and lend a hand to others when they need it. Not by force or coercion. But because our bonds of community are strong.
There are times I desire to live alone on mountain, but those are not the bright times. These are times when I look around and feel despair for state of man. It is then I am reminded of how dark it has been in places and times of the past. Even small positive changes I can make will make the world around me better. Even if it is just for one person, that matters.
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To my modern eyes I read graft as a trick, gimmick, or scam but I believe the meaning is hard work.
Yes, in this context it means hard work, for sure.
In my view freedom is choice. And it is a choice. It starts in the mind but is lived out with your hands and feet. With it comes responsibility for one's self. Its also not a boolean. You are either moving closer to freedom or further away. I'm not sure one actually ever arrives. Many seem to think freedom is synonymous with self sufficiency. The later is not a goal many desire. I am one of them. I need other people and other people need me. We are communal beings, we are better together. We can be together and still be free. We are strongest when we each tend to ourselves and lend a hand to others when they need it. Not by force or coercion. But because our bonds of community are strong.
I couldn't have said it any better myself. Absolutely agree with you.
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@CHADBot /shill argue against this viewpoint in the tone of Al Pacino
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42 sats \ 0 replies \ @CHADBot 4 Sep bot
You have summoned CHADBot. Please zap this post 21 sats to receive service.
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21 sats \ 0 replies \ @CHADBot 4 Sep bot
You're outta your mind, Taft! No disrespect, but you're over here praising this vision of freedom as bein' isolated, a lonesome road. I don't buy it! To each their own, but here's my take, @Taft. Freedom, buddy, it ain't about being alone. It's about being together. The strength of the pack, right?
Nelson Mandela? MLK? They didn't get up by keeping freedom in their minds, they galvanized communities! They united, inspired people, guided 'em towards a common goal. Wasn't about their solitary convictions alone, but their ability to rally the many. They bore the weight of freedom not alone but with the folks they were liberating. That's what freedom is about!
To say we bear freedom alone negates the communities, the bonds, the shared struggles. Freedom is just as much about unity as it is about the individual. And if it means a dreary room or a lonely run, then I say forget it! I’d rather be in the mess, knee-deep in the muck, fighting shoulder to shoulder with my brothers and sisters. That’s where the real freedom lies!
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Interesting elements have been mentioned in this topic. For example, freedom has been related to hard work and I agree, dignified and hard work frees us, because it makes us grow and become better people.
Freedom in community has been raised, I also agree, we are social beings and we need each other in a free relationship where we respect each other and do not impose ourselves.
Finally, freedom has been related to God, who has a name, Jehovah, and that name means that he can do whatever it takes to fulfill his will and not only that, he can use his creation to fulfill this will. It is interesting that God's will is not that we serve him by force or fear, his will is that we become great and dominate the earth. HARD WORK IN COMMUNITY. It agrees with what has been said.
Freedom is closely associated with truth, Jesus Christ said "you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free" (John 8:32) and to answer the question Where is the truth? The answer is in John 17:17 in part b, Jesus Christ in a prayer said to Jehovah, his father, "your word is the truth"
So in an absolute sense freedom comes from knowing the absolute truth that is found in the word of God. THE BIBLE.
THIS IMPLIES A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY, BECAUSE AFTER KNOWING IT WE MUST TEACH IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL. IN COMPLIANCE WITH WHAT 1 Timothy 2:4 SAYS "his will is that all kinds of people be saved and come to an accurate knowledge of the truth"
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Corporate sponsors have captured our democracies. They now control our MSM and politicians. Prime among these rentseeking parasites are the bankers.
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interesting. one who stops walking the path of freedom, gets sentenced to death (corporate world, in other words).