freedom

[killing raven sun]

freedom is the ability to do the wrong thing

right actions are constrained to what is right, in any situation there are few right actions but infinite wrong actions, the intuition can be trained to guide you to right action, but freedom allows you to ignore this voice, exercise your freedom often enough and the voice goes away, or worse it begins to encourage wrong actions, psychosis

nature is the ultimate fascist, if you disrespect her she will make you suffer and die, right choices are rewarded with good health and wrong choices bring pain, there is no freedom in the natural order, you must follow the rules to prosper

 

[The Wizard Tim]

Hi Killing Raven,
I disagree with your view that there are only a few right actions.
One could wake up in the morning and choose to go to work, go to school, quit work, quit school, play hookey, read a book, count to infinity, go to a store, fall in love, fall out of love, go see their father, go see their mother, get pregnant, go back to bed, write a book, read a book, watch a movie, make soup, eat cereal, write a blog... I'm actually getting tired of writing this, but in today's day and age, saying that nature will make you suffer and die is hyperbole.
Humans for the most part live in towns, and cities and have a pretty good mastery over nature. We buy our food at the grocery store, or a local farm, we have running water and electricity for the most part...
I would argue that freedom is the ability to do a thing.
Any thing.
Freedom is a perception, a way that we view the world around us.
Freedom is being able to participate in this forum.
Freedom is being able to write, to read, to pursue one's desires, like getting a new tarot deck...
Now, the dog that is beside me, in his cage, he is not free. He is mastered by me, he eats when I give him food, he goes potty outside when I let him go outside, he gets treats and toys when I allow him too...
Anyways... It's always good to read someone else's views on life.
-Tim

 

[koskos]

Hi Killing Raven,
I disagree with your view that there are only a few right actions.
One could wake up in the morning and choose to go to work, go to school, quit work, quit school, play hookey, read a book, count to infinity, go to a store, fall in love, fall out of love, go see their father, go see their mother, get pregnant, go back to bed, write a book, read a book, watch a movie, make soup, eat cereal, write a blog... I'm actually getting tired of writing this, but in today's day and age, saying that nature will make you suffer and die is hyperbole.
Humans for the most part live in towns, and cities and have a pretty good mastery over nature. We buy our food at the grocery store, or a local farm, we have running water and electricity for the most part...
I would argue that freedom is the ability to do a thing.
Any thing.
Freedom is a perception, a way that we view the world around us.
Freedom is being able to participate in this forum.
Freedom is being able to write, to read, to pursue one's desires, like getting a new tarot deck...
Now, the dog that is beside me, in his cage, he is not free. He is mastered by me, he eats when I give him food, he goes potty outside when I let him go outside, he gets treats and toys when I allow him too...
Anyways... It's always good to read someone else's views on life.
-Tim

I like your feedback The Wizard Tim

 

[nunaphael]

freedom is the ability to do the wrong thing

right actions are constrained to what is right, in any situation there are few right actions but infinite wrong actions, the intuition can be trained to guide you to right action, but freedom allows you to ignore this voice, exercise your freedom often enough and the voice goes away, or worse it begins to encourage wrong actions, psychosis

nature is the ultimate fascist, if you disrespect her she will make you suffer and die, right choices are rewarded with good health and wrong choices bring pain, there is no freedom in the natural order, you must follow the rules to prosper

I think this is actually a very grounded view, and it is at least being open and honest about the brutality of nature and the fact that we must face it and establish a working relationship with it in some way. But I don't think this is the only view one can take. It requires the unspoken implicit belief that our immanent physical existence has the utmost priority, and everything must be sacrificed to preserve bodily existence, and that without it, our existence is somehow incomplete, reduced, inferior, or lacking in some necessary capacity. If you are not a modern neurotic, then you don't feel this unnecessary attachment to "wrong", your "body", or even "life". And yes, sometimes you become "psychotic" and you do "psychotic" things, because (as you said) you are "free", and whether that "freedom" is "good" or "bad" or "fascist"? You might think it is, and I might even agree with you (somewhat). But at the end of the day it's kinda just,

"Yeah, well, you know, that's, just, like, your opinion, man."