Freedom is a need. I have a cat. People feed this cat; they pet this cat; they give the cat everything he needs. But every time the window is open just a little, he runs away.
~Dalai Lama
Freedom is a fundamental need for humans; and controversial in terms of geopolitical refugee issues. We might ask ourselves why people are running away from their homeland; why they are so terribly unhappy in camps/detention: why they don’t return home; why they want to don’t want to change their way of life/traditions or even their attitudes – part of the answer to this, is freedom. Freedom of choice.
It is easy to take liberty for granted, when you have never had it taken from you.
~ Unknown Proverb
How often do we lament about our own country’s regulations preventing us from actioning something we want to do? Bureaucracy sets us more and more rules and society exacts unwritten ones.
Emerging nanny states ignore the need for personal freedom and decision-making. Machines and technology perform routine or repetitive tasks that eliminate the need for us to think, to choose, to do. They even decide for us how many steps we should take each day, the routes we drive, they eliminate the need to remember facts, as Google knows all. Is technology in a sense, preventing physical freedom whilst giving us a kind of intellectual freedom. Many folk today are addicted to checking email, notifications and their phones, and do not allocate time to just be, to self- reflect, to enjoy the liberty of a human on this planet.
If you want to be free, there is but one way; it is to guarantee an equally full measure of liberty to all your neighbours. There is no other.
~Carl Schurz (German revolutionary and American Statesman)
Picasso’s quote hints at liberty in a metaphorical sense. How do you interpret it?
“Some painters transform the sun into a yellow spot, others transform a yellow spot into the sun.”
~ Pablo Picasso
Proverbial Friday
Several years ago, I created ‘Proverbial Friday’ on my blog.
I became fascinated with traditional proverbs and sayings, their metaphorical layers and the many different interpretations found within just a few, succinct words. I marveled at their ability to transcend race, religion, opinions and age.
Mostly anonymous, proverbs are a portal through time to generations past and echo a diverse range of cultures.
They speak of the experiences of many lessons learned and the wisdom from thousands of lives already lived.
They offer us knowledge; knowledge that is passed to us in much the same way relay runners might pass a baton. Once it’s handed over, it is up to us what we do with it and how we pass it on.
Join in the discussion by leaving a comment below. Everyone’s opinion is important. What is yours?
Proverbial Friday – always Something to Ponder About
Something to Ponder About 