Freedom is usually seen through freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom of choice and through different kinds of civil rights. I think the most important freedom is the intellectual freedom. This is also the one most often forgotten, because the only limit to that freedom are we, ourselves.
Most of our actions are guided by our needs, fears, dreams and thoughts inside us. No matter if they are provoked from the outside or not. For example, we've always had this public discussion of commercials and their effects on us. But I do not consider the outside influences worth more analyzing than we've already done. The inside influences are something we have totally forgotten. At least from public debate. This is usually the area that is connected for example to therapy. But working with this area usually keeps you out of the therapy.
What this has to do with freedom then? As much as outside provocation and influences guide us, as much our inner needs do that. The outside stimulation is usually easy to notice but the inner stimulation rises sometimes from the structures of our very personality. For example something that we've experienced as a child or more traumatizing event later on affects hugely on our choices in life. Many times unnoticed, this inner stimulation makes us choose something we really didn't want. In worst cases, we fail to see the crossroads and think we didn't even have the choice. This leaves us baffled what is wrong with our lives. Making us go the same circle, making those bad decisions one after the another, again and again.
This stimulation is especially hard to notice by oneself when it is already the part of our identity. This is why we often need the outside help - therapist, psychologist or spiritual advisor - to make these structures visible to ourselves. It is possible to work them out by oneself also. Either way, it is a long road and needs a lot of sacrifices.
Continues on part 2...
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