Last weekend we held our first ever “Riskologist Field Assembly” here in Portland. We had a great turnout and the event generated a lot of great discussions. I’ll write more about that the next 1% Club update; what’s important is that the focus of discussion was on freedom, what it means to you, and where you have it in your life.
These are loaded questions that armchair philosophers like to argue about on the weekends, but I don’t think they need to be over-complicated. To me, freedom is the ability to do as I like as long as what I like doesn’t make anyone else less free. Fairly simple.
Definitions we all agree on are nice, but as long as we’re free they aren’t necessary—if you don’t like my definition, you’re welcome to make your own and find others that agree with you.
My friend J.D., an excellent personal finance blogger, wrote his own definition after coming to our field assembly. Maybe you’ll like his better.
The problem with true freedom, though, is that it’s under regular attack in some form; there’s always someone who thinks they know what’s best for you and will go out of their way to make sure you play by their rules.
Forcing your will on others is the opposite of freedom, yet it always comes with a convincing explanation.
Sometimes these issues seem far away—detached from your life—like there’s nothing you can do about them. The truth is that there are four specific threats to freedom that we all deal with every single day, and the way you respond to them makes a big difference not just to your own life, but to the lives of others.
Threat #1: The Loss of Self-Reliance (Being at the mercy of those who provide for you)
Today, the world is much more connected than it used to be, and that’s not about to change. This is a good thing—together we’re able to accomplish much more than we are by ourselves.
And as long as these connections are ones that you make consciously on your own, there’s nothing wrong with that because you’re free to do as you like.
The threat to freedom comes when you remove yourself so far and for so long from something critical to your life that you no longer have the ability to do it on your own even if you had to.
A simple example of this in my life is how I run my business. With The Bootstrapper Guild, I now have a developer that works on things I don’t want to take the time to learn. If I were to let this go to far, though, I’d have a system I was dependent on. If it broke, I’d have no choice but to pay my developer to fix it.
And what if that developer decided he didn’t want to work for me anymore? What if no developer would work for me? My business might crash and burn.
So, I choose to outsource and rely on others, but I’m very careful about what I outsource and what that means for my livelihood. I know that if all of those relationships broke down for some reason, I could still make a living and take care of myself.
Build relationships and rely on others—life is better that way. But never outsource the core of what makes you healthy and happy.
Threat #2: Outsourced Responsibility (Blaming others instead of yourself)
2,000 years ago the Greeks invented this novel idea called “democracy” that gave everyone a say in who gets to govern them. Shortly thereafter, most people quit caring.
We only want what we can’t have, it seems. It’s not really that we don’t want a say in our governments, it’s that once everyone has a say, it doesn’t feel like our piece is very valuable anymore, so we set it aside and let others choose our leaders and take responsibility for how we’re supposed to live.
Of course, when you outsource the task of making rules for your own life, you rarely end up with ones you want to live by. Worse, when you learn about these unfair rules, rather than standing up and taking responsibility for them, you blame greedy and unethical politicians. And why wouldn’t you? You didn’t vote for them!
But unethical politicians aren’t the problem; they’re the symptom. They’re the result of all of us giving up our power.
There’s a reason why so many have fought and died for the right to vote. It’s an easy one to take for granted, and when you do, your freedom is at stake.
If you like your freedom and the way you live your life, then it’s your responsibility to defend it, because no one else will look out for your best interest.
Threat #3: The Loss of Courage (Standing up for what’s right)
It’s well documented that the more people there are around you in a time of great need, the less likely you are to get any help. This is a psychological occurrence, and there’s not a lot that can be done about it on a large-scale, but you’re not a “large-scale”; you’re you.
You’re a very small-scale, and you’re in control of how you react to the world around you. You can’t change how other people live their lives, but you also don’t need to. Setting one good example is enough.
With the systems we’ve built to take care of each other and keep ourselves safe, it starts to feel like it isn’t your own responsibility to help others. And you’ve got enough going on in your life to worry about.
But if you lose the courage to help others in their time of need and to stand up for what is right, you slowly but surely also lose your freedom. When you depend on a system run by others to take care of the people around you, they, in turn, will depend on that system as well when you need help.
And, eventually, systems are always controlled by someone who cares more about them than about you.
It’s been said the only thing necessary for evil to prevail is that good people do nothing. To keep your freedom in the long run, you have to be willing to stand up for what’s right and to inconvenience yourself.
You have to maintain your courage and set a good example for others to emulate.
Threat #4: The Misunderstanding of the Principles of Freedom
In the United States, there’s an amendment in our constitution that says we have the right to own guns. This has been a source of intense debate for over a century.
I’m not a fan of guns, and I don’t own one. But I am a fan of your right to own one. Why? Because it’s the most effective “last line of defense” against injustice. That’s why it’s included in our constitution—so that no government could ever take away our ability to overthrow it.
One of the most common arguments against gun ownership is that the government is so powerful now that it would be pointless to try to oppose it with guns. And as long as we can’t put up any kind of real fight, why allow people to own things that they can kill each other with?
It feels like a valid argument, but it’s a misunderstanding of the entire principle of freedom—to live your life as you see fit without interference.
You wouldn’t tell someone with crippled legs that they should be amputated, that life would be better in a wheelchair than in leg braces.
When your freedom is already weakened, the best response is probably not euthanasia.
And when people understand the principles of freedom, there’s more respect for the freedom of others.
The idea of outlawing things, in general, is quite opposed to the principles of freedom. What’s been invented cannot be uninvented. We can’t get rid of guns or other bad things. But we can ensure a reasonably equal playing field so that when evil inevitably does decide to show its face, free people still have a fighting chance to defend themselves.
To protect freedom in your own life, you have to understand it in a way that also protects it in the lives of others.
It’s fundamentally impossible to gain more freedom for yourself by taking it away from someone else.
Anything gained is temporary because when you undermine the principles of freedom, you undermine them for everyone, including yourself.
***
The more we do to protect freedom for ourselves, the easier it is to protect it for others, and the easier it becomes for others to protect it for themselves.
We don’t all have to agree on a definition, but if you believe that the purpose of freedom is to set others free, then the best place to start is by setting yourself free because only then can you help anyone else.
Now a query for you: What threats do you see to your freedom? And what can you do about them?
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Image by: I Am Not I
RE: guns
It’s not really an aspect of the second amendment, but an important part of gun ownership with respect to freedom has to do with your previous point “outsourcing responsibility.”
Prevention of crime to your property and person isn’t something that should be handed off to the police. They’re busy, first off. And second off, they never care about any individual crime nearly as much as the victim.
We all have a duty to protect ourselves, our stuff and our family, etc. Owning a firearm is one way to do that. Maybe it’s not for everyone, but realizing that we shouldn’t rely on the state to protect us definitely is.
You know tyler, I think that you really hit the nail on the head with this one, and I happen to agree with most of your points.
I think about the loss of self reliance all the time – Not typically with outsourcing tasks (though I see where that’s relevant, as perhaps someday my money wont mean anything to the person with the skills I need) but in my m ind I see it with my day-to-day needs. My food gathering has been outsourced to safeway, via who knows how many people – and i’m at risk personally because of that choice. I’ve got no idea what they can/do do with my food before safeway gets it, I can only guess and hope. The same goes for another of my basic needs (water) which is outsourced to the city where I live, and the same risks apply.
Outsourced responsibility is also a huge problem – people do things like ban guns (and take away the freedom of people who want them) because they outsource responsibility to the firearm, and not the actual trigger puller – the gun didnt point itself at something that wasnt supposed to be shot and shoot.
Once again, great thoughts. A lot of this stuff I didnt think much about until I moved to a place where everyone was far more self reliant than I. I wanted to learn more and figure out what the point was – and I’m glad I did.
Being a sexual minority / gender identity minority most certainly threatens my freedom. I mean, being a pre-transition transsexual, everyday I’m faced with the choice of either being open about who I am and running the risk of being persecuted, or flat out lying and not expressing the real person who I am on the inside. And the fact that I live in Russia doesn’t help either x)
However, I’ve decided to take my freedom back — to be open, to be honest, to be authentic. No matter what.
That way I know that I’m not only living a good, honest life, but I will also be paving the way for future generations of people who are a little different. Because, in actuality, that’s all that I really am — just different. And I will not anymore let anyone take away my freedom to be myself.
I’m heading for a bumpy and crazy ride x)
That is amazing, and I want you to know there are tons of people proud of you. Just a simple post here on a blog could be all the motivation someone else in a similar “situation” needs to gain their own inner strength.
Tyler, This is your finest work yet, and I applaud you for being able to lay this out in a way that makes it both an easy read, yet a fundamentally important piece of writing, especially for those of us in our 20′s, members of the so called “Lost Generation”.
To touch briefly on what I was thinking while reading the topics you presented, I believe you nailed it right from the start; when we rely on those surrounding us, not only are we putting ourselves at risk in the event that our supporter is no longer at our back, we are also degrading our own willpower, and our own resolve. The longer we have our hands held, the harder it becomes for us to do the work on our own. This is a massive issue for many in our generation, because for so long we have been coddled, and told we are all special little flowers who will one day bloom. Obviously, the world is not a black and white arena, so I will not cast a wide net over everyone, but it is an undeniable fact that personal accountability is extremely low (which you also touched on in threat 2 obviously), and many of our peers are refusing to take on responsibility for their lives due to this terribly misguided idea that things are going to magically work out for themselves; that they do not need to put in that extra bit of effort because of how “special” they are.
Threat 2, I believe was the greatest analogy you presented, yet that can also return to what I discussed regarding threat number one, which is the passing the blame, and relying on either parental, our societal support in changing our own personal direction. Sadly, many have become followers, because it is much easier than leading, which, surprise surprise, leads to your threat number three. I could go on and on!
Once again, terrific piece, and I hope this creates a strong positive discussion, and is spread around, because I feel the more we openly discuss these topics, the stronger we become individually, and as a community. I hope to attend one of your meetups in the future, I also read J.D’s blog and saw his post the other day, and it sounds like an amazing time full of great people.
Tip of the hat to you my friend!
“What’s been invented cannot be uninvented.”
Love this line.
I read that line several times myself. Simple, yet powerful.
This is a great post Tyler. I don’t have much to add to the discussion that hasn’t been said already, but I wanted to take the time to applaud you and your effort in authoring this article. I’ll be posting snippets via my tumblr blog to Facebook for the next couple of days. So many great quotes!
With the rise of civilization and the ever-increasing division of labor starting 10-12,000 years ago, we are all extremely reliant on others. Even those who go off the grid and grow their own food are typically using tools and fuel made by others. Fortunately, others are mostly happy to provide what we want in return for giving them something, that is the free market. Where we see breakdowns, such as the police, are typically areas where the state has taken over and competition is not allowed.
Whether an armed populace could overthrow a modern 1st-world state has not been tested, and seems doubtful if the military backed the state. So, though the founders thought it a good reason to have an armed populace, I find it somewhat lacking (though I defend an individual’s right to bear arms).
Though perhaps off-topic, I find the advice of most survivalists amusing (“store seeds and food and things to varter with”) if they are talking about a total breakdown of society. If the division of labor is messed with too much (in other words, if most trade comes to a halt), most of us will die and nothing we can store will make much difference unless we have truly prepared to go totally “off the grid” with respect to everything. Almost no one has done that except in bad survivalist novels.
A brilliant list!
When thinking about #1 though, I think self-sufficiency goes beyond simply being able or unable to do something. It includes the ability to search out information and help when you need it, and the ability to learn quickly when it’s called for. Your developer may leave you, but he is not the only developer the world. As long as there are millions and millions of people around us, there will be another developer. In a much broader sense, you are never truly alone. The question is, are you capable and self-sufficient enough to find him, and to keep going until you do?
Thanks for the wonderful words again. I really like reading your blog.
As it relates to #3, when I’ve lived in urban areas (Boston & NYC) with lots of people close together, people generally make an effort to avoid each other, avoid eye contact, avoid helping each other. Living in very rural areas (where I live now), people seem to go out of their way to get to know and help their neighbors and strangers. I used to worry about what would happen if I broke down on one of the less-travelled roads in our area where there’s no cell service – until it happened. My heart was warmed by how many people pulled over to help.
As for relying on others, in rural areas it’s important to rely on your neighbors as they are usually the only source of help. Fire, ambulance and police are far away and volunteer-based.
After living in a rural area for the past 15 years and then visiting friends in urban and suburban settings, I find it amazing how little the urbanites understand about the fragile systems that support them that don’t exist where I live. Food, water, sewer, electricity, heat. Having to create these things on our own certainly gives me more reassurance that they’ll be there when I need them. As was apparent in New Orleans when Katrina hit, urban areas generally aren’t equipped to handle full system failures. And, eventually, they will begin to happen.
Overall, the more we take responsibility for our own lives and help others in the process, the more freedom we have.
Financial Freedom. The biggest threat in my personal life and that of many others is owing to much money, to too many people. Debt reduces options. The more payments one has to make, the more difficult is to choose the path that will make the most positive impact on ones health and happiness.
Thanks, everyone, for the great comments so far. It’s easy for topics like this to get away from the main point, but you all have made great additions.
Keep ‘em coming, and thanks again.
Passivity, Complacency and Apathy — These are threats to my freedom. We live in a culture that fosters these threats and it scares me. Freedom requires gaining knowledge, accepting responsibility and taking action. Great article. Thank you!
“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.”
-Eleanor Roosevelt
I see the “flinch” as the nearest and the more present threat to my freedom.
I can’t even comment intelligently because my mind was just blown by this. Wowzers Tyler, this is a manifesto in the most concise form I’ve seen in a long time! I’ll come back later once the implications of these thoughts have had a chance to sink in.
Loving the responses. You have stuck a chord that resonates. The stuff of revolutions personal and beyond
First of all, I love this post. Freedom is something with I’ve struggled with my entire life.
Secondly, my biggest struggle for freedom right now is my age. I’m 16, and an American citizen. That means I’m required by law to attend school of some sort. I have a few options besides public school, but out of all of them, public school is my best option. However, public school takes away virtually all my freedom in respect to the use of my time (Spending 6+ hours a day, five days a week, plus hours upon hours of homework), and most of that time is spent doing pointless busywork that isn’t even remotely relevant to my future – it’ll just help me pass the state tests, which is all the school’s really care about. I’m forced to spend that time in uncomfortable rooms with people who severely dislike me, and quite frankly the whole setup is depressing.
But online school is just as bad, but looks worse on a college application. And homeschooling is difficult without money, and is really hard to get into a college with.
I really, really hate public school. But I’m not sure what other options I have. :/
What I have been doing differently, though, is exercising my freedom with the rest of my life – what I eat, what I wear (my wardrobe is nothing short of eccentric), who I socialize with, how I behave in school, my extracurricular activities, etc.
Any suggestions?
Renee,
You should definitely read Grace Llewellyn’s Teenage Liberation Handbook. It’s on Amazon, but it’s also likely to be at your local library. There are also hundreds of other great books to check out in this area. Follow the “Customers who viewed this” trail in Amazon to find the ones that appeal to you.
I have grown kids and 5-yr old girls and I’m a firm believer that the last thing a young freethinker needs is a compulsory, state-sponsored education. The laws about self-education and home education are different in every state. But the reality is it’s possible…in every state…to walk away from your school and start immersing yourself in learning about the things that matter to you. That’s how we ALL learn best…kids & adults alike.
I hope that helps Renee! Best wishes! ~ Larah
I’m not exactly in your situation, but a similar one.
I’m 19 years old and if I were like any other 19 year old, I would be in college. But I’m not. Because, like for you, there are other things that I am passionate about and that I want to do.
Personally, I’ve chosen the route of trying out different jobs to create some savings and to find a place where I really can have fun and be creative (moreover, be accepted for who I am).
Right now, I’m in between jobs and switching my current apartment to a cheaper one. Personally, I’m satisfied and fullfilled with this type of lifestyle right now — I’m not planning on attending college in the near future.
And even though at times it’s hard, I feel as though I’m the only one living this way, and most people think I’m crazy, I’m more than happy following my heart.
So, my advice to you — follow your heart, create change in the world. Maybe one day people wont be forced to undergo an “education” that they do not yearn for. But for now, live the life you want to see
Hi Renee,
I have done a lot of research on different programs for schooling. I homeschool/unschool my kids most of the time. Right my son is in school by his choice and is finding out he hates school. I have some options for you if you want to contact me via email at kellyrouten@gmail.com . There is good news, don’t believe all the negative hype out there that homeschoolers can’t get into college or that it is difficult. Things are getting better and better for homeschoolers. Also, there are many different ways to do online school. Some are spendy, sure, but there are some that are very inexpensive and some even free. I have too much to share here, so please contact me. -Kelly
Renee—see if your state offers Post-Secondary Education Option or a similar program, or even VoTech classes. I don’t know how widely available it is, but some places seniors and juniors can take college courses (online or otherwise) to replace high school ones, with the state picking up the tuition tab. Such that you can replace high school English, Science, etc. classes with getting Gen Ed requirements out of the way, free.
I was too enamoured of electives like band and choir and art and shop to fit it into my schedule, but my brother got a semester’s worth of college done during high school while getting out of the high school classes.
Like I said, I don’t know if this is at all applicable to your situation, but look around. It’s possible there might be something.
I was also going to suggest looking into getting college credit. It helps a lot if you have a parent in your corner to help you research options and sign off on whatever paperwork arises. Do you have a parent who might be willing to work with you? If not, take a look around for those teachers or counselors (or even administrators) who might give you a hand. It’s a way of networking within your high school, and very often it only takes one teacher willing to do that “independent study” to have it all start turning around. If your thinking about it, you’re already on your way!
Tyler,
This post goes right to the top of my “I wish I’d written that” list. Thank you so much for taking a vocal and public stand for freedom!
I think the biggest threat to our freedom is your Threat #4. We haven’t taught these ideals to our kids for multiple generations. That means there are kids, parents and grandparents out there who don’t truly understand the concepts of liberty and freedom.
I could chat about this for hours.
Thanks again for writing this! I hope, I hope it reaches beyond the choir!
Larah
Renee, contact me via email at kellyrouten@gmail.com. I have some great information I can share with you. Thanks.
Wow! I just found your site, but i completely agree with what you are talking about with freedom. Well so far i really enjoy all your writing. It makes a lot of sense!
“The idea of outlawing things, in general, is quite opposed to the principles of freedom. What’s been invented cannot be uninvented…”
Tyler u really heat the nail on the head. I am in Africa- Kenya and recently the mayor of Nairobi( capital city of Kenya) has been under siege from some politicians for for promising some Human Right activists that he will legalize prostitution. You see prostitution is very ripe in all societies of the world and to my opinion i think recognizing them may help regulate the trade and their activities. We cannot be a society so closed to realities of the world. Legalizing such trade would may even help control spread of HIV since license may only be given to those without ST D’s. Besides it will afford them their freedom, some were confessing on the national TV that they are not in the trade for money!! that’s who they are. Basics of business, demand and supply,prostitution cannot exist if there is no demand for their services! so does the problem start within the society- clients or the service providers?
Am I the only one who thinks there are much stronger arguments out there in favor of gun control than the couldn’t-take-down-the-government argument? For instance, that far too many innocent people experience the ultimate loss of freedom as the result of poorly regulated gun use? Or that the idea that having the power to hurt someone else as the way to manage our interactions is already a symptom of a failure to take up the responsibilities of Freedoms 1, 2, and 3?
I appreciate the thoughtfulness of how you laid out your point, Tyler. I just disagree. I respect everything you’re expressing here, but I also think that part of expressing our freedoms is deciding together when it’s in our best interests to put a brake on our impulses–say to fly through a red light and maybe take out a couple other drivers. I value our freedom to try out gun-free states, and I value the freedom to look hard at how many lives are saved. And finally I value our freedom to create policy together that reflects our best judgement about what’s in our best interest. It’s never perfect, but that process is what I take you to mean in #2–don’t outsource responsibilities. You are the government you create.
That’s it–just thought I’d put in practice #3.
KG
[...] thread led me to Tyler Tervooren’s Advanced Riskology and the “4 Imminent Threats to Your Freedom (and What to Do About Them)“. His idea of freedom seems to be more about self-reliance and living a courageous life [...]