You Really Want Freedom? Do This
Masks didn’t take away our freedom. We were never really free.
Capitalism is a hell of a drug. We’ve been trained to clock in and out of work to be able to afford luxuries that give us short-lived dopamine hits. Despite the unhappiness we may feel at work, we return again and again to satisfy our addiction for things.
Of course, we need money for essentials like food, housing, education, clothing and, if the country you reside in doesn’t offer free healthcare, then add that too.
But, we want more than just the bare necessities. And, there is nothing wrong with that. However, it is no surprise that the rise of modern advertising coincides with the industrial revolution. The mass production of goods turned us into a society of heavy consumers.
In order to produce said goods, firms had to incentivize workers to work long hours. The logic was: The more we worked, the more we could earn and the more things we could purchase. Advertisement served as a tool to move the sale of products and to create motivated workers through the sale of the American dream.
Before modern advertising as we know it, there were posters and brochures. With the poster below, the British promised riches to people who were desperate for work so they could embark on a perilous journey to the New World. The workers were met instead with hunger and death.
What I am saying is this: We are sold the promise of freedom through ownership of guns, mortgages and fancy cars. In fact, people who fear civil unrest/the loss of their freedom due to COVID-19 have made a beeline for guns. Gun sales have consequently skyrocketed.
That is not freedom.
The American dream should mean more than the ownership of things. I am Canadian, and we too have been sold the same lie. Most of us aren’t free.
How can we be free if, as COVID-19 has shown us, job security is a lie? How can we be free if, according to Prosperity Now, 40% of Americans are one missed paycheck away from becoming homeless?
That is not freedom.
Capitalism feeds on the desperation of the many to uphold the interests of the few. The system aims to create an army of zombies too stressed to think clearly and find the cure for their ailment.
So, what next?
To truly be free, we must self-actualize. I am on a quest to live freely myself. I broke free from a toxic marriage, left my country of birth and started a new career in line with my values in a new country. In my six years of making drastic changes, I have found that the following is one path to self-actualization:
Aim toward mental freedom
“The key to being free, authentic and creative is to clear debris from the space you always occupy — your mind.”
— Michele Knight
Unlearning what we’ve been taught about the world and ourselves is crucial to experiencing real freedom. The media, the educational system, our parents and communities have all fed us stories that can have us ignoring our true potential.
We must peel away the layers and shed what we’ve been taught in order to uncover who we are underneath all this conditioning.
Where to start?
- Watch documentaries and videos showcasing a variety of voices
- Question your beliefs
- Make a list of skills you’d like to acquire and a corresponding list of online courses and resources
- Participate in discussion forums
- Acquaint yourself with people from different age groups, genders, religious and ethnic backgrounds, and economic classes.
Burst the bubble and see how the other side lives.
Embrace fear
“Fear robs you of your freedom to make the right choice in life that can bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. On the other side of fear, lies freedom. If you want to grow, you need to be brave and take risks. If you’re not uncomfortable, you’re not growing.” ― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart
Fear is misguided; it aims to protect us, but it can really hold us back. It’s not, however, a monster we must defeat. We just need to listen to it and take educated action, regardless. Action that’s steeped in misinformation is not the goal.
Take baby steps. For example, if the thought of public speaking scares you, you could record some videos at home, do breathing exercising to calm your nerves, post the video to social media and turn off the comments.
The aim is growth. Doing things you aren’t accustomed to doing builds confidence, and the world needs more confident people who aren’t so much driven by fear.
Aim toward financial freedom
“Real wealth is not about money. Real wealth is: not having to go to meetings, not having to spend time with jerks, not being locked into status games, not feeling like you have to say ‘yes,’ not worrying about others claiming your time and energy. Real wealth is about freedom.” –James Clear
Financial freedom could look different to a lot of people. Not everyone wants to be a boss or self-employed or the next Jeff Bezos. Some people are genuinely happy working for an employer.
You can choose to work within this capitalist system and still be on a path towards self-actualization. However, blind faith in any system, while disregarding the disadvantages it holds, is not freedom.
The acquisition of money, though, is not synonymous with capitalism. Money is a tool. Capitalism is really socialism for big corporations.
Education is key. Find out how money works. Learn about investing. And, find out how to make your money work for you.
Side note: History aside, if capitalism were so great, why does it thrive off our ignorance? Why doesn’t the public educational system, which trains us to fit into a capitalist society, teach us about money management? Why do credit card companies set up camp at colleges to recruit young clients who have no clue how credit works?
If you are unhappy at your current job and you’re barely making ends meet, in order to have a shot at freedom, you’ll need a new job or money-making endeavor. Acquire new skills to be able to change careers. Making big changes requires time. Luckily, there are affordable or even free online resources you can use.
Become self-aware and socially conscious
“One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself”. — Leonardo da Vinci
Take stock of your weaknesses. Get to know yourself. What do you want out of life? What makes you happy? Determine your values. Do some spring cleaning: Ditch what no longer serves you. Learn about the impact your purchasing choices have on the planet.
Be an ally to marginalized groups. We have to realize that, as Emma Lazarus and later Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Until we are all free, we are none of us free.”
Build community
North American society is very individualistic. However, creating a trusted circle where knowledge and resources are shared can be beneficial. In my culture (my parents are Cameroonian), we have a thing called jangi. It’s a group of people who put money into a fund, and each month someone different receives it. This concept is present in other cultures, too. While your money doesn’t accumulate interest as it can when invested, jangis provide a way to build an emergency fund while enjoying fellowship and accountability.
Freedom isn’t a final destination. It lies in the choices we make every day. I would like to encourage you to ask yourself: “Are you free?” If you feel like you aren’t, the steps above could set you on the path.