Someone much wiser than me once told me: “The difference between liberty and freedom is that while freedom is a state of being, liberty is a state of mind.” In modern English, “freedom” and “liberty” are often considered synonyms: used interchangeably for the ability to pursue one’s own interests. However, that ability is comprised of more than a single aspect. To me, someone’s ability to pursue their interests is comprised of two specific qualities: the freedom from oppression as well as opportunity of choice, and the liberty from one’s own preconceptions with the wisdom to make meaningful choices when the opportunity is presented. To me, freedom is an allowance from authority: a privilege that can be wasted or rescinded as easily as it can be used or granted. Freedom is very cut and dry, though unfortunately mostly out of one’s control. Liberty, however, is a product of one’s own efforts. Liberty comes from educating oneself to the limitations of their freedom, and recognizing the opportunities their freedom affords.
I say it’s important to distinguish between these aspects because while freedom in America is at an all time high, the people haven’t had this little liberty since before the “New Deal” era. Never before have the views of the people been so easily swayed and taken advantage of as they are in the 21st century. The people believe they have no choice but to choose a side and stay in line. The people believe that they are defined by the caste system that they so crave to overcome. What the people keep forgetting is that we do have freedom. We don’t have to choose a side, because there wouldn’t be sides if we didn’t choose them. There wouldn’t be a caste system if we didn’t try to rise above our caste. The people have lived under a partisan mindset for so long; that we have forgotten that the world isn’t black and white, or red and blue. In a similar vein, the people have forgotten that we can take action. The people have been content with inaction for so long, that we have forgotten that we have the power and opportunity to change our own mindsets, and circumstances. We are led like cattle to the slaughter by the authorities that we empower, because we forget that they are only in power because we let them be. People have forgotten that we have freedom, and so we lost our liberty.
This mindset is on full display in Samuel Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot” A play with much controversy as to its meaning, that happens to parallel the human condition quite well. In the play. the main characters: Vladimir and Estragon are waiting for a man named Godot, who never shows up. Over and over in the play, Estragon asks Vladimir if they can leave, and Vladimir simply answers that they cannot leave, and that they have to wait; though he never gives a reason as to why. By the end of the play, this dialogue has happened so many times that even Estragon mocks himself for asking. One of the many interpretations of the play, is that it is about how it always seems like we don’t have a choice, even though we do. Vladimir and Estragon don’t have to wait for Godot, but they feel like it’s the only option they have. In one scene of the play, a character named Pozzo is knocked over, and can’t get up. He calls and calls for help from Estragon and Vladimir, but they are so distracted deciding whether or not to help him, and why they should or shouldn’t help him, that they never do. In a scene that parallels this, Pozzo is once again knocked down, and calls for help. Eventually Vladimir says that their idle talk is accomplishing nothing, and so they might as well help him up. Even with that realization though, they go back to talking and ignore Pozzo for quite some time. That scene can be interpreted as a commentary about how after being used to inaction, it can be hard to finally take action when the opportunity finally arises.
The goal of this article is not to answer why we have forgotten about our freedom, nor is its purpose to answer how we can gain back our liberty. Its goal is to make you, dear reader, ask yourself: “Do I truly have my liberty? Am I taking advantage of my freedom? Are the choices I make my own, or are they what society says I should choose?”
Periodic Failures 