Are we Slaves or are we Free?

You're not really free until you gotta give something up--What Cost Freedom-----

That's similar to what I was thinking. We're not slaves because we have that wonderful thing called choice. Just because we desire something does not mean that we're going to follow through. I desire to spend all my money on shoes, but I choose not to because I'd rather not have to borrow money from my sister by the end of term

I feel that our desires can enslave us. Where our freedom lies is in our ability to choose whether we act on our desires. In otherwords it is in our choices that we have freedom and if you take away our ability to choose for any reason you take away our freedom.

To add to this thought...

Out desires or generally our unmet needs thus there are generally our feelings and we do have the ability to use reason...thus that is what people do, use their reason that is produce from their feelings however that does not solve the problem only make it worst.

For most people I think reason starts when our phycial needs are not met ---food, a warm place to stay..ect. then the thought is I need to fix the problem. Thus they move to a safer place, better people, get a job, go to school..thereby generally it is fear that drive the issues

However once those needs get met then people start thinking about their secruity needs and therein lies the problem..how to keep their jobs, how to have good people around me all the time, how to get a better job, how to keep the wolves from the door....thereby fear again generally are driving the issue.

Most people when they think of other's desires...they think of passion that corrupts, or hope that drive the game of chance which can destroys. It is true that those things can destroy a person however most of the time it is short lived as that person's phycial needs quickly kick in to drive the person back to a more balance life...

However...if fear gets into the picture then the person's become set into a short term focus which makes them whole on to tight which then led to slavery of some sort....

Thus it is reason that drives fear and the reason that fear produces that drive the slavery issues...to defeat it I believe one must examine their feeling that drive their thinking...so that they can set themselves free of their fears....so then I believe that freedom is being set free from your fears.

However the structure that led to a person feeling safe also tends I believe to take away that person's freedom to make choices...as the greatest mass kind of thing demands a person's individualism...

The question is again, how to we develop the awareness that no man is an island while also allowing them to be their own person with valuation.

All the philosophy and complicated thinking aside - I know that the less stuff you have like houses, cars, clothes, debt, taxes and obligations the more free you feel.
So if you want freedom get rid of all the stuff and live more, Travel more, love more, do more, give more and you will have more freedom.
We are all slaves and everyone has a boss. Even when you have your own business your boss is your customer, the tax man, the employees and society in general. There is no true freedom in this world. The best you can do is pick your poison and live your life to your own ideals. That is why our capitalist western society works because we still have our freedom to choose our master. Money? Success? Love? Cars? Religion? Politicians? Self? Who do you want to serve?

Gee...was it something I said?

Did you practice mindfulness, acceptance, and open-mindednes?

We have been slaves of uncle for sometime now. We will never escape that wrath.

aman

Very interesting way of lookin at it