Personal freedom is a rather multifaceted concept. It is difficult to say clearly what it is. Only one thing is clear: this is a complete lack of dependence on others, circumstances, habits. This is an opportunity to engage in activities that bring the greatest satisfaction. And also the fulfillment of any desires without regard to public opinion and foundations.
Freedom or responsibility
The definition of human freedom has changed over the centuries. In the modern sense, they first started talking about it during the Renaissance. It was then that people began to be considered the highest value, and their freedom an inalienable right.
During the reign of the Protestant Reformation, the word “freedom” changed its meaning slightly. It implied the opportunity to find your own way to God and interpret the Bible in your own way.
Since the 19th century, individual freedom has become synonymous with self-expression. It meant economic stability, the ability to independently choose religion, behavior, and social circle.
Nothing has changed these days. Personal freedom occupies an important place in the structure of society. The individual is free to set priorities, choose goals and methods for achieving them. But there is one condition. Your freedom must coexist harmoniously with the freedoms of other people. This is called responsibility. A more free person is also a more responsible person. The reverse situation is called arbitrariness.
Down with restrictions!
Russian will is precisely “freedom from”, a spontaneous impulse, and does not provide for any constructive continuation. In general, the fight against any restrictions is a striking psychological feature of our nation (which does not exclude our inherent willingness to obey - as we know, extremes meet). “Addiction to alcohol, so characteristic of Russia, means, from a psychological point of view, precisely a refusal of self-control.
And self-control is one of the limitations, only not external, but internal. We strive to avoid any control over ourselves.”
Finding the causes of this phenomenon is a task for large-scale research. But it can be assumed that our stubborn desire for “freedom from” in the absence of “freedom for” is connected with history. Serfdom - and in fact slavery - was abolished in Russia only in 1861, later than in European countries. Moreover, freedom (with many reservations) was brought down from above, and not won from below. This is hardly the best way: there is no freedom without liberation. For us, the path to gaining freedom and the ability to manage it has largely remained untraveled.
Basic theory
Famous public and cultural figures have described individual freedom in different ways:
- The ability to act in accordance with your interests and goals. Belinsky.
- The absence of political and economic oppression, restrictions in political and social life and the activities of a class or society as a whole. Dobrolyubov.
- Absence of slavery and serfdom. Chernyshevsky.
- Personal independence, independence. No dependency or constraint. The opportunity to do as you want. Dostoevsky.
- Ease, no difficulties. L. Tolstoy.
Personal freedom is often associated with voluntarism and fatalism. The first word really has to do with a free person. This is the desire to achieve goals without paying attention to objective circumstances and consequences. Fatalism is the exact opposite concept of voluntarism. According to fatalists, the personal freedom of each individual is nothing more than a utopia. Human life is predetermined by external factors. They cannot be changed. How are things really going?
Introduction
The relationship between the individual and the state as the main social institution has always been the focus of world political and legal thought. Moreover, the content, forms and nature of these relations decisively form the basis for assessing the state of ensuring and guaranteeing human rights and freedoms in a particular society, a particular state. Analysis of the methodological foundations for understanding these components, the entire complex of relations between the state and the individual, is extremely important for a more reasonable assessment of human rights.
The relevance of this issue lies in the fact that the state, the individual and society are closely interconnected. The question of the relationship between these categories is quite extensive and is studied by a number of disciplines, such as philosophy, political science, sociology and others.
From the above, the practical significance of scientific works and research devoted to the implementation of individual rights and freedoms is clear. The problem of individual rights and their relationship in the state with its various institutions and other subjects of the political system is central to the science of the theory of state and law.
Is there such a thing as unconditional freedom?
In an ideal world, yes. No one is able to limit the flight of thought. However, this concept is not applicable to real life. Absolute or unconditional personal freedom is, of course, tempting. But the idea itself has a number of shortcomings. For example, the inability to become free from one's body, conscience, discipline or responsibility. Such conditions can cause harm to both the person himself and those around him. In any case, freedom is endowed with specificity and certainty. Therefore, it is not unconditional, but relative. But this does not mean that there are always some restrictions. Often they are nothing more than empowerment. It turns out that there is no need to strive for absolute personal freedom. It's an illusion.
A home you want to return to
But in ancient times a man had a different role - that of a protector and provider. He must be as free as possible in order to perform these functions, cover the maximum possible space in his search, obtain as much food as possible - and the best food possible. So a man’s need for freedom is higher than a woman’s.
You cannot tie a man to yourself, limit him. This will symbolically “castrate” him (deprive him of his masculinity, he will no longer feel like a man) or even kill him, as in the film “Out of Africa”. What to do?
Instead of limiting and tying a man to herself, a woman can build a relationship in such a way, create an atmosphere in the house such that the man wants to return there again and again. Moreover, voluntarily, and not due to obligations or despair. For this, a woman needs self-confidence and contact with her femininity. Then she will wait for the man calmly and relaxed, without worrying or calling on his mobile phone.
How to become a free person
First, realize that true freedom comes from within. It depends on attitudes embedded deep in the consciousness and subconscious. A free person has a number of distinctive features:
- Controls his instincts and reflexes. Thanks to this, he behaves correctly in society.
- He doesn’t set limits for himself, doesn’t dictate a strict regime. Free individuals subtly sense the signals of the body. They know when they need rest, when it is the best time to work or eat.
- A free person has no complexes. This is especially true for self-doubt and low self-esteem. These negative qualities take away vital energy and eat from the inside. That is why freedom from them takes so long to develop.
- Not at the mercy of emotions. A person dependent on feelings and sensations often commits rash acts. Afterwards he regrets them, but cannot change anything. As a result, another complex develops. A free person independent of emotions easily makes decisions, can evaluate his actions from the outside and consciously correct mistakes.
Another sign of a free person is childlike spontaneity along with adult thinking.
External manifestations
“All people are born free,” those who wished for a better fate for humanity repeat (and have loved to repeat at all times). But there have always been those who felt: our relationship with freedom is not as simple as it seems at first glance. Many generations of schoolchildren have regularly explored in their essays “the theme of freedom in Pushkin’s lyrics,” but only at an already uncomfortable age can one appreciate how many different faces of freedom coexist in Pushkin’s lines: natural (will), love, rebellious-romantic, liberal, freedom of the poet, finally.
Psychologists have their own view of freedom. For them, our innate freedom, to put it mildly, is not obvious. Simply because psychology associates freedom with our actions, and not with ourselves. And as long as there are no actions, there is no point in talking about human freedom, or rather, there is no reason.
However, a child, when born, performs many actions. And let's say, in a loving family, a child sleeps if he wants to sleep, eats if he wants to eat, and also crawls, jumps and plays - also when he wants it. Does this mean he is free? No, because all these actions are manifestations of spontaneity, immediate impulses, explains psychologist Dmitry Leontiev1.
“Freedom correlates with spontaneity as a higher mental function with a lower one. The lower mental functions act on their own, as if mechanically. Higher functions are what we perform consciously, based on our own experience and ideas about how to act.” And although outwardly the manifestations of higher and lower functions may be similar, their causes are often completely different.
So what actions can be considered true manifestations of freedom?
Those that we do with a clear awareness of the consequences and a willingness to answer for them.
And if, for example, a car alarm is blaring under the window in the middle of the night, then immediately throwing a flower pot on it is a manifestation of spontaneity. But if, when throwing, we realize that an angry neighbor with a crowbar in his hand will now appear on the threshold, then this is freedom. By the way, this means that to act freely does not mean to act well;
freedom is not an evaluative category at all. Freely - that is, of one's own free will, with full awareness of the consequences and readiness to answer for them - one can commit very bad deeds.
Andrey Arkhangelsky, journalist
“Where does the desire, the demand for freedom come from? Unclear. Irrational. Even Fukuyama wrote: “This is a mystery.” Out of nowhere. But this is the mechanism. People are standing on Tverskaya, shouting: “Freedom, freedom.” If you know the context, then this means “freedom for Navalny.” But there are two foreigners standing nearby. From their point of view: “People came out and demanded freedom.” Everything is clear to them. And there is no need to clarify. This happens everywhere. It’s so clear: people demand freedom. A year and a half has passed - nothing at all - but people have already understood everything, they demand the most important, fundamental thing. We got to the point."
How to understand your own freedom
Ask yourself 4 questions:
- Am I an independent person? Your opinions and actions should not be influenced by external factors. Learn, develop, boldly move forward. There is no way to stop there.
- Do I have a favorite activity or hobby? A person who does not like work can hardly be called free and happy. Therefore, think about whether your hobby can be turned into a permanent source of income.
- Do I spend a lot of time reading? Start with books dedicated to self-development and self-knowledge. They may not add freedom. But you will know exactly where to move next.
- Can I control my emotions? This is probably the most difficult skill.
A free person has all the skills listed above. He lives as he sees fit. Focuses only on his own values and priorities, leaving behind the opinions of others. Do you act the same way? So you can be congratulated. You are a free person.
Choose your path
“For me, the connection between freedom and psychological well-being is obvious,
– Dmitry Leontiev summarizes. – A person who chooses his own path feels better. And if this is not done, then sooner or later the lack of freedom will make itself felt. Psychosomatic health problems, a feeling of emptiness in your life.
Another thing is that it is very difficult to be free. Responsibility presses. In addition, in Russia, freedom is hampered by fear that has historically lived in us. And in the West - hedonism, the opportunity to exchange this freedom for a new portion of material wealth. In short, we can assume that being free or not is a matter of taste.” This idea was formulated with exceptional precision in an interview by the sculptor Ernst Neizvestny. He said, “In a free society no one can force a man not to be a slave.”
1 Doctor of Psychological Sciences, Professor of Moscow State University. M. V. Lomonosova, head of the laboratory at the National Research University Higher School of Economics.
2 E. Kaliteevskaya, D. Leontyev “Ways of developing personality self-determination in adolescence.” Questions of psychology, 2006, No. 3.
3 V. Magun, M. Rudnev “Basic values of Russians in the European context.” Social Sciences and Modernity, 2010, No. 3–4.
Practical recommendations
Following simple but effective tips will help you gain inner freedom and self-confidence.
Understand what's stopping you from being free
This must be done at the very beginning of the path to internal liberation. There are 7 factors that make a person dependent:
- fear, self-doubt, complexes;
- public opinion, stereotypes;
- dependence on money;
- inability to make choices independently.
Once you determine the reason for the lack of freedom, act decisively. Eliminate the listed factors one by one.
Conquer your internal barriers
These include all the same fears and complexes. This is usually a consequence of past failures. It also happens that parents, having failed in some business, unknowingly program their children for it. This is the first and most important barrier.
Be sincere to yourself
There are people around who know how to live your life. Do not rush to show a rebellious spirit and contradict them. Calmly listen to their opinion, but act as you see fit.
Remember, each person has his own life. And everyone is free to manage it in their own way.
But there is one thing. Before you learn to defend your opinion, you need to find it. Sincerely tell yourself what you think about this or that matter, decide on your desires and goals. Become an individual. This is a direct path to personal freedom.
Learn to make your own decisions
The lack of this skill makes people dependent. But why are they so afraid of independence? There are 2 reasons:
- Ignorance. The person does not know what to do next, is not sure of the correctness of the decisions made, and is afraid of the consequences. Changing the situation is easy. Explore the world around you. We are not talking about biology, botany and other sciences here. Get information about your rights and options. Make time for self-development.
- Lack of practice. How can you become independent and free if you don't practice making decisions? Of course, no one is protected from failures and mistakes. But inaction will not give you freedom. So don't be afraid to make your own choices. Take risks.
The main thing in the matter of independence is to want to change. If there is no such desire, there will be no progress either.
Free yourself from material dependence
Money provides many opportunities and a certain freedom of action. But if they are used incorrectly, they take a person into slavery. That is why financial well-being cannot be made the goal of your entire life.
There is no need to become a hermit. It's better to reconsider your attitude towards work. If possible, do something that generates income and at the same time gives positive emotions. This is personal freedom.
Constantly try new things
This advice can be rephrased: free your mind from the shackles that hold it back. Personal freedom implies the absence of restrictions and stereotypes. Their presence is called slavery. It's easy to get rid of. Open yourself to new sensations, knowledge, emotions. Try new activities, learn foreign languages, meet interesting people. In no time, you will feel unprecedented freedom. Traveling will also help you free yourself. Take time to visit new places. You don't have to go to another continent. You can go to a neighboring city this coming weekend or even explore unexplored corners of your own.
Read
Particular attention should be paid to the biographies of famous people who managed to become independent. Their example will be a motivation, an incentive to develop and move forward. The result is personal freedom, good mood, self-confidence.
Learn to manage your own life
Otherwise someone else will do it. A person who constantly doubts himself easily becomes a victim of manipulators. Therefore, take responsibility for yourself. Don't be led by others. Don't do anything you don't like. Learn to live according to your desires and views.
Surround yourself with worthy people
It is important that there are those around whom you want to imitate. Life is a kind of role-playing game. And, most likely, there is a character in it that you want to be like. There is no need to mindlessly copy his behavior and actions. This is already a certain amount of slavery. Learn from the examples of successful people about determination, perseverance and independence.
Never compare yourself to others. On the one hand, competition encourages you to become better. On the other hand, it is often the cause of depression and self-doubt.
Give yourself permission to act impulsively
Remember, you don’t have to live according to a set schedule. The day is not just oatmeal and coffee with milk for breakfast, work and a light dinner. First of all, these are new emotions. Do you want a Mojito and seafood for dinner today? Why not allow yourself such a deviation from the rules? Or maybe you want to add a little pop of color to your casual office attire? Take action!
The absence of monotony in life equals personal freedom.
Stable figure
A few years later, the social situation in the country changed dramatically. Many life guidelines and norms simply disappeared; they were replaced by completely different social demands. “When we repeated our experiments in the mid-1990s,” says Dmitry Leontyev, “we saw that teenagers had become different. Freedom and responsibility have ceased to be the main parameters
, and we no longer found the same clear structure.”
Since then, similar studies have been carried out several times with the participation of adolescents from various social groups, from children from orphanages to children from wealthy families. And each time only one type was clearly defined: autonomous. “The fact of the matter is that these are free people who do not depend on the perturbations of society and the environment,” explains Dmitry Leontyev. In all groups and at all time stages, the number belonging to the autonomous type was approximately the same - 25%.
One can assume (although such a conclusion will obviously be too bold) that this figure indicates the percentage of potentially free people in society. At least in Russia.
Survey
53%
Russians believe that “the state should ban books and films that offend morality.” Moreover, the number of those who think so has been growing since 2002, when 43% were in favor of strict censorship. And only 18% of fellow citizens believe that “any censorship is unacceptable; a person must decide for himself what to read and watch.”
43%
tend to give up freedom of speech and civil rights, in particular the opportunity to travel abroad, if the state provides them with a decent salary and pension. 20% of respondents strongly disagree with such an “exchange.”
57%
advocate that the authorities exercise tighter control over the economy and political life in the country, and only 34% of respondents would like the country’s leadership to be given “the freedom to mind their own affairs and ensure that they do not break the law.”
According to Levada Center surveys in June 2013.
