Slavery has been abolished - that's the official story anyway... But are we truly free?
The word freedom is used so much in all sorts of ways that we no longer really know what it means: freedom of thought, political freedom, freedom of the press, freedom of enterprise, individual freedom, libertinism (ah no, that's another subject...)
Freedom is a very relative concept: for a prisoner, it does not have the same meaning as for you and me. It also does not have the same meaning if you live in Switzerland or in North Korea.
At birth, we are weak chicks who receive their food in the beak. Our first years are marked by carelessness. Later, between job and family, carelessness gives way to the weight of responsibilities. At home, we take care of the needs of others rather than thinking of ourselves. At work, we do what we are asked to do rather than what we would like to do.
Living in society makes total freedom impossible. Does that mean you have to leave your wife, quit your job and go to a desert island to regain your freedom? I think there are less radical methods...
Freedom is not just the absence of external constraints, it is above all an internal process, an attitude, a state of mind. Freedom is a character trait, an availability, a way of thinking.
Does financial independence make you free?
I think the quest for financial freedom is as much an economic as a philosophical one. There is no point in becoming a retiree at 50 if you are one of those people who feel like they no longer exist socially once they have lost their professional status.
And yet, the world is not just about the professional world. Life is not limited to work. Learning to live is unlearning how to work.
"Work is freedom. Freedom is that of others. Work is that of others," joked Boris Vian.
Being free does not mean being lazy, passive, inactive. It does not consist in doing nothing, nor in doing everything you want. Being free is above all knowing what you really want.
“Freedom is finding your own path and following it.” (Xavier Brébion)
And you, what do you really want in life?
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Just excellent! Thank you dividinde for this beautiful article.
Beautifully turned out!
Like probably most people who follow "dividend.ch", I am passionate about freedom and independence. For me, independence is necessary to achieve freedom. Financial independence allows a form of freedom, by freeing oneself from certain contingencies. Afterwards, everyone does what they want with their freedom. As far as I am concerned, financial independence would in no way mean idleness (how awful), but the freedom to undertake all sorts of projects and to give free rein to my passions.
I would add that it is difficult to become financially free if you are not free in your head to begin with 😉
Thanks for your comments! I also see financial independence as an important (even essential) step towards freedom, because it allows us to focus on new projects that we really care about regardless of financial constraints.