Why Do People Fear Freedom So Much?

So many of us talk about freedom, wanting freedom, needing freedom and not having enough freedom, and why is that? Why are there so many restrictions on the things we do, think, say, hear, what we can buy, where we can move, who we can vote for to represent our interests, how we can earn, what we can own and so much more?

The restrictions are there for the simple reason as we allow them to be there; there is no other logical explanation for it. We as a society do not want our freedoms, we will cop-out at the earliest sign of resistance, and we're willing to give up our rights and liberties at the drop of a hat.

We fear ourselves

The reason we're happy to have government dictate what we can and cannot do is that we fear choice, we concern ourselves, we don't trust ourselves to do the right thing. Many of the laws we have today apply to all of us but were motivated by the behaviours of a minority of people. So if one makes a mistake, we all suffer.

Instead of trying to uplift those of our society we feel have strayed and strive to provide them with the information, guidance and resources to focus on their interests and improvement of their lives we slap a blanket rule to govern all.

I'll make an example; marijuana is illegal in many countries around the world because of whatever reasons the government deemed it necessary. They have passed laws to make the growth and consumption of it illegal and punishable by law which costs millions to enforce each year. This forces those who want to use it to have to find creative solutions to get their hands on it. It also inflates the price as it creates artificial scarcity which makes it an attractive proposition for those wanting to get into the business of production, distribution and sale of marijuana.

Instead of just having no regulation or legislation or enforced law and letting the market decide if they want the product or not. Do we not trust people not to want what they don't want? Oh because it's now legal people are going to lose their minds and be high all the time and let it affect various other self-interests.

If they want to do that, its still their choice, but I fail to believe it will harm any productive value of society. There are cities and countries where the cultivation of marijuana is legal, and I've yet to seem them implode into a dystopian environment because of it.

Image source: - fchamberslaw.com

Preying on uncertainty

The fear of uncertainty is part of our human nature. It is a spiritual problem that affects our personal lives and governments have used this to create various levels of Authoritarianism is the general response to a deep fear of freedom.

By outsourcing the rules to a third party, we give up personal responsibility because we don't want to have complete trust in ourselves. As long as we follow the rules laid out by our superiors, all responsibility for our actions belongs to them, and we are off the hook.

Freedom is a burden

Freedom is great in theory, but when it comes into practice, most people don't want their independence, they want more of it taken away, which is evident in today's society. You might think of freedom as something that makes life easier.

Taking back one's freedom means fewer rules and more room to do what you want to do with your life. This is true in a sense, but at the same time, freedom is a burden. Freedom doesn’t require less of us. It requires more. To many, the responsibility of freedom is a scary thing. Governments have harnessed this year and convinced people to think they aren't capable of good, that the minority who don't act in their self-interest to pursue happiness and prosperity will rip apart the fabric of society. That we're all animals that need to be effectively caged because we cannot trust ourselves without restrictions.

Ask yourself? Are you willing to take full responsibility for yourself? If everyone took care of themselves, wouldn't everyone be cared for adequately? Instead of A+B deciding whats best for C and having D pay for it all, which is basically what a government does.

Freedom is a burden, but we are always better off with it than without it.

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