My Definition of Freedom
While there is a basic, universal definition for all of the words in the world, the specific definition for most words vary based on the person because everyone has their own personalized descriptions coming from individual life experiences and knowledge. The same goes for the phrase “real freedom”. In David Wallace’s address to a graduating college class he says, “the really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able to truly care about other people and sacrifice for them… that is real freedom.” He gives the graduates advice from personal experience and while his definition is completely valid, I do not agree with it completely. For me, having real freedom is not only being aware of others, but also allowing yourself to let loose and create. “The power of imagination makes us infinite” says John Muir, and I agree. When let loose, our minds are able to create and innovate in such raw and vulnerable forms, and it’s such a precious thing to be able to do. I think it’s okay to be caught up inside your own thoughts as long as it’s not to the point where it’s unhealthy and becomes selfish. To represent this visually, if Wallace’s definition of freedom was on one end with the default-setting of selfishness on the very opposite, my definition would have to be in the middle, leaning more towards Wallace’s definition. The fact that one is able to go back and forth between thoughts from his/her mind and the people and events of the world is the most powerful and rewarding ability to possess, and that’s what I think, is true definition of freedom.
The song for this week:
Ruth B. - Lost Boy // https://youtu.be/58TBZnvyGwQ
The lyrics describe Ruth B.’s way of being lost in thought and using her imagination for comfort. She refers to the characters as her family and she says that “lost boys like me are free”, meaning that because people are able to get lost in their thoughts, they have the freedom to think without any limitations. I thought this was a great example of imagination being used for purposes other than selfishness. Give it a listen and share your thoughts :)
Good post! I listened to the song and it gave me sort of a dreamy feeling how the everything is floating in the music video. However, I would consider "lost in thought" as a sign of having your mind caged. I feel someone could be lost in thought because of one thing and they would be caged in that dimension. It feels like being kidnapped out of reality rather than escaped out of reality. People would become tunnel visioned and it can lead to the dark side of freedom.
ReplyDeleteI really like how you connected being "lost" to freedom. Although these may seem unrelated, I agree with your point that sometimes being lost in thought is a taste of true freedom. I really loved how you connected music to your point. Whenever I feel bored or stressed, I can go to the the piano, hit a key, and just start improvising. I do this to allow all of my thoughts and emotions be free, and it does have that sense of being lost and vulnerable.
ReplyDeleteHey esther! I liked how you agreed with Wallace, yet you took your own stance on how you view freedom. It was really nice how you took a look at both sides and came to a conclusion near the middle instead of a very direct claim like Wallace's. The song was really nice, and it fit the tone of the post really well. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI really like how you used a "visual" example to describe your view on real freedom! It helped me to picture something like a chart to understand what you were trying to say. You bring up some nice points, and now that you mention it I agree that Wallace's definition is somewhat incomplete. Also, nice job tying your song into the point you were making.
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