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Author Topic:   True Freedom
joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 1 of 300 (343771)
08-26-2006 8:42 PM


I have not experienced true freedom once, in my life. I have been under something that seems free, that people tell me is free, that schools teach is free, that media forces onto me as free. Should I have to settle for such freedom? For the seemingly free? For "the best that there is yet", for systems that are designed to keep me thinking that I am truly free? For propaganda, and wars all centered on essentially maintaining our "free" system, the "free" way of things. If I was to be truly free, things would be different.
We wouldn't need leaders, leaders like Bismarck, Napolean, Bush, Hitler, and Charlemagne. We wouldn't need leaders and the games they play with our lives, like chess. I wouldn't be less than a pawn in this absurdity, far less than what a pawn would mean to the leader. A simple person, a simple student, someone without any influence globally on my own situation, and the situation of those that I know. To be free, the games that leaders conduct globally would have to be eradicated. Because until then, we would be stuck in the system, stuck at the bottom of it, into a hierarchy filled with others born into position, and unable to change it at all.
To be free, governments themselves would have to be stopped, we could not have groups of potential leaders, powerful people at the head of decision making for our own well-being. We would have to control it.
There would be no democratic voting, because voting is a less than fruitful experience, ending in a choice for the better of the 2, or 3, or 400, leaders and groups. The better of, is not the best, the best is when one controls his or her own destiny totally.
There would be no need for these out-dated systems. There would be no towns. There would be no cities. There would be no counties. There would be no countries. There would be only the earth, as it is.
There would be no borders to decide the strongest, or superior of systems. No borders to control where we go, what we see, or who we talk with. No borders to increase "Nationalism", which in turn means that there would be no feelings for the extension of power on a scale that effects millions in other places in the world.
No maps with areas carved into them to control everything that we are, and do, to classify all of humanity, limiting the freedom to be truly oneself and not to be called an American, a Frenchman, or a German.
There would be no societies, used as platforms to endorse and promote the ideas of a few brilliant people and to subjugate others to the ideas of these few.
Freedom in this sense would entail the thinking of oneself, and to be seperate from the ideas of others if he or she wanted. But in societies which subcribe to governments, and economic systems, we are tied to these ideas, and are destined to be never truly free.
True freedom would also mean that there would be no economic systems, because there would be no need for money, no need for primitive currencies to buy and sell, all of which limits the freedoms of the people, forced to use the system constructed or be a hopeless starving wanderer.
There would be no occupations, no jobs, no pre-destined purposes, which never never never are what anybody ever thought for themselves to do with their lives. There would not be systems to give people things to do, to keep people from realizing the absurdity of this existance, to keep people trapped in their secure daily lives of money, and of family. To make sure that noone realizes that there is no meaningful purpose, no individuals must give up on the established way of things.
Because once one knows that we are here in this abyss of existance and without clear purpose, one realizes that there are no purposes of any merit, or value. Because there is nothing that we can do that means anything because there are no standards. There is no guideline, there are no rules. All there is, is existing, and to wonder for what, and why, and to not know.
Then people begin to know that there is only one path that makes any sense. The path to transcendance, to true freedom.
And then one realizes that all of the existance that everyone else is in, that all the silly humans participate in, the existance of societies, and of governments, and of power, and of money, is the worst reality that could be realized. Because it seperates one from all of it. It makes recluses, people who can't socialize with others on mindless levels of small talk about sports, and business. It makes people commit suicide, and it makes truly intelligent individuals.
It makes people want true freedom, but realize that it's not even worth it, because we will die in this existance, this place of mental torment, of no meaning. Where people take occupations to have false purpose rather than no purpose at all. Albert Camus' summation of life for many in the Sisyphus myth, where one finds purpose in meaningless tasks such as jobs, or occupations within an economy, that although Sisyphus pushes the rock up the hill for it to fall again, which is absurd (as are all jobs) he finds purpose in the task. This is as most humans behave, to find purpose in business, and in science, and in mathematics, in teaching, in anything, as meaningless as it all is, because these jobs do not matter, and they have no value. Many simply go through the system because they have not realized that their entire existance has been without meaning. Or they don't want to, and close their minds to ideas about the meaning of life, and the purpose of humanity's existance.
This thread started with "true freedom", but I feel that true freedom only exists outside what we see in the physical world, and is only present within our minds. Freedom is in transcending what is real, as did Siddhartha, and Christ. The only valid purpose that one can speak of, a purpose with any meaning at all is a purpose that Christ spoke of, to love the rest of your kind in this absurd existance. Because there is nothing else that is good and righteous to live for. Let us seek this freedom called truth, for nothing in this existance can ever be meaningful except for knowing why. Knowing why we are here, and why we exist. That's true freedom.

Replies to this message:
 Message 3 by kuresu, posted 08-26-2006 9:26 PM joshua221 has replied
 Message 4 by Trump won, posted 08-26-2006 9:50 PM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 33 by ikabod, posted 08-27-2006 4:51 AM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 52 by riVeRraT, posted 08-28-2006 8:59 AM joshua221 has replied
 Message 92 by Hyroglyphx, posted 08-28-2006 11:20 PM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 101 by sidelined, posted 08-29-2006 12:04 PM joshua221 has replied
 Message 122 by alacrity fitzhugh, posted 08-30-2006 1:13 AM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 128 by JavaMan, posted 08-30-2006 9:38 AM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 131 by Legend, posted 08-30-2006 11:44 AM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 170 by RAZD, posted 08-31-2006 8:55 PM joshua221 has replied
 Message 280 by Phat, posted 09-04-2006 3:50 PM joshua221 has replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 13 of 300 (343828)
08-27-2006 12:29 AM
Reply to: Message 7 by kuresu
08-26-2006 11:47 PM


You took the american ap?
That's cool, me too. I did ok on it, got a 3. Average I guess.
My brother likes arguing about trivial things like jefferson and locke.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 7 by kuresu, posted 08-26-2006 11:47 PM kuresu has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 15 by kuresu, posted 08-27-2006 12:36 AM joshua221 has replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 14 of 300 (343830)
08-27-2006 12:33 AM
Reply to: Message 3 by kuresu
08-26-2006 9:26 PM


quote:
I tend to follow the jefferonian ideal of freedom--liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness.
That's not freedom, that's men in power attempting to give just enough to satisfy the masses, while a government of wealthy elites, like the founding fathers hold power.
I agree that your definition of freedom is good. It is just not good enough. Why settle for less, you know?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 3 by kuresu, posted 08-26-2006 9:26 PM kuresu has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 16 by kuresu, posted 08-27-2006 12:49 AM joshua221 has replied
 Message 32 by Phat, posted 08-27-2006 2:24 AM joshua221 has replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 17 of 300 (343835)
08-27-2006 12:49 AM
Reply to: Message 15 by kuresu
08-27-2006 12:36 AM


Oh I was talking about the american history one anyway, I haven't taken government yet, I go back this monday.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 15 by kuresu, posted 08-27-2006 12:36 AM kuresu has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 19 by kuresu, posted 08-27-2006 1:00 AM joshua221 has replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 21 of 300 (343840)
08-27-2006 1:03 AM
Reply to: Message 19 by kuresu
08-27-2006 1:00 AM


Nice man, that's sick.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 19 by kuresu, posted 08-27-2006 1:00 AM kuresu has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 23 by kuresu, posted 08-27-2006 1:31 AM joshua221 has not replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 22 of 300 (343843)
08-27-2006 1:14 AM
Reply to: Message 16 by kuresu
08-27-2006 12:49 AM


You are saying that I am too idealistic, but that was part of my point. That true freedom is not something that I will likely experience unless I base my life around the search for truth, to finding the meaning of life, to answering the questions of and about our existance, because isn't that really all that matters in this world?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 16 by kuresu, posted 08-27-2006 12:49 AM kuresu has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 24 by kuresu, posted 08-27-2006 1:36 AM joshua221 has replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 25 of 300 (343851)
08-27-2006 1:49 AM
Reply to: Message 24 by kuresu
08-27-2006 1:36 AM


I read Siddhartha, it has definately stayed with me.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 24 by kuresu, posted 08-27-2006 1:36 AM kuresu has not replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 35 of 300 (344088)
08-27-2006 10:47 PM


Question to Evc
How do the individuals here who have jobs, and live as "normal" individuals cope with how meaningless most of it all is?
How do you find meaning in what you do?
And why do you think we are here?

Replies to this message:
 Message 36 by jar, posted 08-27-2006 10:52 PM joshua221 has replied
 Message 44 by Ben!, posted 08-27-2006 11:47 PM joshua221 has replied
 Message 126 by JavaMan, posted 08-30-2006 8:18 AM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 129 by robinrohan, posted 08-30-2006 10:46 AM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 134 by sidelined, posted 08-30-2006 1:23 PM joshua221 has not replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 37 of 300 (344095)
08-27-2006 10:58 PM
Reply to: Message 36 by jar
08-27-2006 10:52 PM


Re: Question to Evc
Let me rephrase?
Why were we created by God?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 36 by jar, posted 08-27-2006 10:52 PM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 38 by jar, posted 08-27-2006 10:59 PM joshua221 has replied
 Message 54 by iano, posted 08-28-2006 11:59 AM joshua221 has replied
 Message 125 by JavaMan, posted 08-30-2006 7:53 AM joshua221 has not replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 39 of 300 (344097)
08-27-2006 11:02 PM
Reply to: Message 32 by Phat
08-27-2006 2:24 AM


Re: Train of thought: Equality. Does it =freedom?
Not to make it personal, or offend you at all.
But then why do you work at a grocery store, inside of the "system"?
System meaning, the system designed to give man false purpose, and keep men busy, and keep men from not changing things, and keeping men from transcending what is real.
Why?
It would be no different if I asked anyone else why they did any other job. But you brought it up, so I asked you Phat.
Your job is no less meaningful, or meaningless than any other job.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 32 by Phat, posted 08-27-2006 2:24 AM Phat has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 47 by Phat, posted 08-28-2006 2:37 AM joshua221 has replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 40 of 300 (344099)
08-27-2006 11:04 PM
Reply to: Message 38 by jar
08-27-2006 10:59 PM


Re: Question to Evc
Thank you, I didn't want a non-answer, I guess I wanted to know that you needed to contemplate the answer to such a question as much as I also do, and have many times over.
The question is the most important question ever asked. The most complex question ever asked.
The world of thought opened up by this question is existentialism I guess.
Edited by prophex, : holla

This message is a reply to:
 Message 38 by jar, posted 08-27-2006 10:59 PM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 41 by jar, posted 08-27-2006 11:16 PM joshua221 has not replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 42 of 300 (344108)
08-27-2006 11:33 PM
Reply to: Message 38 by jar
08-27-2006 10:59 PM


Re: Question to Evc
I can tell you human history in a few sentences. Human history shows nothing about why we are here, it shows what humans do when they don't know why they were born. They create societies, and men live and work, and toil. They "let their gardens grow" as Voltaire said. But they do not know why they are in the world, why they were created. Human history shows the exact opposite of why we were created. We were created to seek truth, to find the answers to these questions. To transcend so to speak, as over-used as my terms are becoming, I feel they are still valid.
But History shows nothing of any worth to answering these questions. It may show a few bright stars searching, philosophers who are remembered for the conclusions that they drew, but most of it is a void, empty, filled with mindless actions, and the search for worldly gain... Nothing.
What you said was simply an excuse, allowing your existance to be validated, and allowing your mind to rest.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 38 by jar, posted 08-27-2006 10:59 PM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 53 by jar, posted 08-28-2006 9:50 AM joshua221 has not replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 45 of 300 (344112)
08-27-2006 11:54 PM
Reply to: Message 44 by Ben!
08-27-2006 11:47 PM


Re: Question to Evc
Thanks Ben I really enjoyed your response. To love, I guess is one of the only worthwhile things in this world.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 44 by Ben!, posted 08-27-2006 11:47 PM Ben! has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 46 by Archer Opteryx, posted 08-28-2006 2:24 AM joshua221 has replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 66 of 300 (344379)
08-28-2006 5:32 PM
Reply to: Message 46 by Archer Opteryx
08-28-2006 2:24 AM


Re: Question to Evc
quote:
I love going to work every day. I love being useful.
When you enjoy a task, it has meaning enough.
How can you take such enjoyment in meaningless tasks that were created for you to partake in by other humans, by humans who were thinking about money, and greed, and efficiency?
Please save yourself from it, you still can.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 46 by Archer Opteryx, posted 08-28-2006 2:24 AM Archer Opteryx has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 74 by Phat, posted 08-28-2006 6:54 PM joshua221 has not replied
 Message 77 by nator, posted 08-28-2006 7:06 PM joshua221 has replied
 Message 79 by Archer Opteryx, posted 08-28-2006 7:21 PM joshua221 has replied

joshua221 
Inactive Member


Message 67 of 300 (344381)
08-28-2006 5:37 PM
Reply to: Message 47 by Phat
08-28-2006 2:37 AM


Re: Train of thought: Equality. Does it =freedom?
quote:
I guess I have always been tied up in the system.
I have made some poor decisions in my financial life and I owe the system a good $42,000.00! Additionally, I have found no way---aside from living under a bridge and carrying a sign, of escaping the obligations of rent and bills. I dont mean to sound like a hypocritical idealist, but I am trapped in the system!
Phat, you know what you have to do man. It's bullshit man, it's just numbers, screw the money, run man, do something, you're not helpless... Humans weren't meant to have financial lives, it's an evil construct built upon the primitive workings of greed within humanity, it sounds cliche but you can free yourself from it all. You can transcend it.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 47 by Phat, posted 08-28-2006 2:37 AM Phat has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 72 by Phat, posted 08-28-2006 6:17 PM joshua221 has not replied

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