Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it. Malcolm X Freedom… This word takes you back to your last vacation, where you are reminded of the absence of constraint, the feeling of able to do whatever you want, whenever you want. Very rarely this sweet vision includes a crying toddler, a boss or client screaming for changes to be done this very day, or any other pressing commitment. At first sight, freedom is pretty antagonist to the very concept of responsibility. Maybe it’s because we think about it wrong. Freedom lies in responsibility The absence of freedom Let’s say you’re a freelancer, working at home. Your kid is crying, you have to change a whole design before 5, the house is a mess, your in-laws are arriving tonight and your spouse won’t be back from work until 7 or 8. Meaning you’re stuck. You would like to get unstuck, but what’s really interesting is how you feel and why. You don’t decide what you do, you do what you have to, the most urgent, given the situation. You don’t feel free because : You are tied to constraints rooted in external circumstances You believe you have no choice You are unable to change the parameters of your situation You wish things were different And that’s the problem. You believe and wish things could be different, but at the same time you act like you don’t have any…
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It’s starting to get really hot, you’re with a zillion others on the streets, defending your rights, sticking it to The Man, building a better future. You’re chanting. You’re not sure what exactly, with all the noise and lack of coordination (it definitely looked easier on the movie last night), but you’re chanting anyway. You feel proud, and good, and somewhat angry (yeah, I know…). Everything seems to be going great, you’re in the flow, you don’t have to decide anything, it’s as easy as it could ever be. But then, you see at a distance, a small, little shop with a giant poster of your favorite band. It’s getting closer, but you aren’t. A strange feeling arise. You’re starting to wonder. Where’s the crowd going? And why you shouldn’t follow. Following a crowd is exhilarating. As part of a movement, we feel empowered, nothing can stop us. Crowds have overthrown governments, crowds have stopped conflicts, but crowds have also started wars and induced the death of many people. When you’re part of a crowd, there are questions you should be asking yourself, and others. The advantages of being in a crowd You’re powerful You can fight for your rights, or justice You don’t have to decide everything, you can rely on the crowd You’re part of a group with similar values or interests You benefit from what the crowd provides or obtains You share with the crowd, and it shares with you, you’re not alone The disadvantages of being…
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