“Get a job.
Go to work.
Get married.
Have children.
Follow fashion.
Act normal.
Walk on the pavement.
Watch TV.
Obey the law.
Save for your old age.
Now repeat after me: I am free.”
Last June 12, 2012, the Philippines celebrated the 114th
anniversary of its Declaration of Independence which has been an annual commemoration
since 1964 to signify our “freedom” from foreign rule. This kind of celebration
of independence is not unique to the Philippines as many other countries marks
a special date in their calendars to celebrate the day they gained sovereignty.
However, this kind of celebrations begs me to ask the question: Are the
individuals in these independent societies really and truly “free”? It has
already been a year or so when I realized and accepted the fact that I am not
truly free and now I am writing this series of articles to discuss why we are
not and why we have always thought that we are.
As an introductory article, let us first settle some concepts or
notions first.
Before I start discussing why we do not have true freedom, let us
properly define that word first. According to Merriam-Webster1,
freedom is 1) the absence of necessity, coercion, or
constraint in choice or action; and 2) the liberation from slavery or restraint
or from the power of another.
Many readers might also think that maybe I am writing about people having
no true freedom because I am a whiny, unemployed, hungry bum who has very
limited options with his life; but sorry to burst your bubble, because I am
not.
I am only 28 years old I think I already have a good enough situation that
will make the common man very happy. I am enjoying a relative financial
stability while not being stressed-out from work. I am able to finance a house
of and on my own; I am a regular provider to my family (parents and siblings); and
I am also able support some of my pursuits of leisure. However, I would like to
clarify that I am not living an extravagant life as I am still living as simple
as possible. For one, I do not have a personal vehicle yet; maybe because I
feel that it is still unnecessary for me especially with the relative ease of
public transportation in our country.
Next article will be related to “choice”. Do we really have an
independent, freedom to choose what we really want?
