FREEDOM used to be presented (or misunderstood) at times as a self-sufficient valuable: "You need freedom cause freedom will open up the doors (to everything else you really need)!" After some years spent in such struggle, it sounds to me much like:"Struggle for money, because money will open up the doors!"... Obviously, neither freedom, nor money do have any value in themselves. It is how we use them that matters, won't you agree? .................. So, I believe, we all possess such degree of freedom as we can afford in our present state. But have you ever met a person who could handle that small peace of freedom perfectly? Isn't it more wise to start by learning to use the freedom one already has -- wisely? We always strive for more -- when we don't know how to make the best use of what we already have... Would be interesting to hear sincere opinions from you, dear people. I'm not expanding my idea here any more than I already have; it is a 'forum', so I leave it to you to continue this interesting topic.
This question of mine is not provocative. Rather, it is an address to the like-minded people to share their experiences on the matters, which we all understand to be of importance. Some think their participation in the hippie life was all wrong; others still defend the hippie way despite all the negatives, still believing the way in general to be true. I am sure, it is a 100% personal matter to decide, whether this is right or wrong. My point here is just to discuss the very basics of the hippy way, in their development. At least, I couldn't find another appropriate forum for such topic.
I agree, what counts is how a person uses their money and freedom. For myself, freedom was the ability to live without a need for material possessions, or at least with a minimum (I do still prefer to wear clothes and sleep indoors away from flesh eating insects ). I got to spend about 7 years in the country, back-to-Nature style mostly, off the grid and all that stuff. I’d still be there if a family health problem hadn’t forced us back into the city. If I ever find myself single again, I’ll be out of this town within the hour. Most of the kids I grew up around talked about freedom, but their interpretation was just the freedom to party without personal responsibilities. As soon as the kids eyed a new car, they were anxious to get a job to buy the car and everything else. I agree with your thought of a person learning how to handle the freedom they already have. Thoreau spoke of minimalism, but the crazy guy also spoke of never living more than an hour’s walk away from a café. LOL! All coherent philosophies and religions speak of getting rid of excess material possessions, and for the people who can live without their electric razors and televisions, it is good for the soul to achieve freedom from the weight of possessions. For myself, my lifestyle was already chosen before anyone labeled me a hippy. I want freedom from the man’s society, I want the freedom to eat what I want when I want, to sleep when I want, to wake when I want, to think what I want, to travel when I want, to care for Nature the way I want, and to become the person I want.
Freedom for me means being who you are, being happy; and having those ideas come from you- and not the rest of what society classifies as who you "should be" or how youre supposed to be happy
Oh yea, I should absolutely agree about it. Being free from prejudice or from all sorts of imposed ideas. From the poison of propaganda and commercial ads. Yes, yes, yes. Being able to form own opinion. But it's a long way, isn't it? Are you that free at the age of, say, 17?... Well, let's not forget, that the ideas coming "from inside us" are always ones formerly planted into us -- and that by other folks. Maybe it was the folks we loved and respected. But it might also be those we hated; we hate them, but their poisonous ideas infiltrate into our minds and hearts and take roots there. Ideas like violence, for example. And it takes a long time to check all these ideas "coming from you" in order to see , whether they are really good ideas. But many don't even bother! They just say "This is MY point of view!!!", as though the very fact of its being "MINE" can change it from wrong to right...
It can definately take a while to get past all the social programming, and I was nowhere close to it when I was 17- hell I wasn't anywhere close to it in my early 20's! It takes a lot of soul searching to really sort out all the social B.S from what truely comes from within you, but it can certainly be done if someone wants to; and it is true some people just don't bother to look any deeper- because its "their" point of view. I think people do that a lot of times out of fear, I know I did; and even though I've come a long way- I still have growing to do
GOOD! Wish you have your good time! And going back to the topic key word "freedom", this is really how we handle our freedom. I think , it is most important to define clear goals first. To have a full understanding of what I want, what I'm suffering for. What I see as my reward when I succeed. The purpose of my life. Is it peace, love, honesty, life in harmony with my conscience? We cannot tell right away , if this or that particular teaching/movement is really a way to these goals we have in view. Even if it seems to be so at present, it may prove false after a few years of pursuing this way/teaching/movement. What shall one do if he should suddenly realize, that the teaching/movement of his choice failed to provide the way to his original goal? Granted, being faithful to a doctrine/teaching of one's choice, as well as to one's fellow believers, is a noble thing, no doubt. But is it more important, than truth? More important , than love, peace, honesty and clean conscience that one wanted to pursue? Than true happiness, at last? We are free to choose, but we are also free to review our choice and change direction, in case we find it absolutely necessary, in our pursuit of our goals. Why, we can even review our goals in the light of our growing understanding of what life is all about.
