Community post
FREEDOM
So what, in your opinion, is freedom anyway?
It seems to me that there are many versions of what people think freedom is. Previous generations have thought about freedom in very different ways than we do today. This considered, the world over, there are many different types of freedom being lived out every day.
Even in our own country of origin society seems to layer out into different constructs of what people think living a free life is and aught to be. But one thing is certain, some people's version of freedom would be completely unacceptable to others. I believe that, fundamentally, this is where most societal conflict and unrest stems from.
So again, what is freedom and why is it so important?
I will do my best to begin this discussion and, of course, I am very interested to hear the thoughts and opinions of all of you reading these words.
My own personal search for freedom, liberty, and independence ignited 10 years ago. After the 2008 financial crash, I realized that understanding the money I exchanged for the vicissitudes of life
was vital to understanding the system that allowed or disallowed our current societal versions of the free life.We have been told that freedom is maintained by democratic vote but what I saw was that we were voting every day via the mechanism of what people deemed to be money. In a capitalistic society money implemented consumption and investments in the future we would all soon be living. It was both a system of control and, as so often is the case during an economic bust, it was a system of wealth transfer.
In physical terms, freedom of the body would be the ability to move pain-free and unrestricted through ones full range of motion and in the direction that one intends.
A parallel can be drawn when we consider the current extent of our own personal economic situations.
Our freedoms can be measured by paying attention to where we are currently feeling financial pain and where our intention and movement is restricted by centralized authority structures.
I learned that in order to avoid the entrapment of debt and slavery I would have to learn as much as I possibly could about the money we all used every day but did not question. Money that no one taught us about during our public education years. Money that was now moving globally (although restricted nationally) at the speed of light. Invisible money that, to those who do not understand its underpinnings, is running over the average person still living their tangible lives based upon the old rules of money that no longer exist.
I found out about about inflation and money creation, fractional reserve banking and the FED, national debt and fiat currency. I learned how Richard Nixon decoupled the trusted U.S. dollar (the reserve currency of the world) from the limits and worth of gold in the year 1971.
Studying money fundamentally lead me down the rabbit hole in a way that I never imagined possible.
It was then that I became the right person (on the inside) to be receptive and open to a new and revolutionary idea. An idea, that once planted, would change the way I thought about my life and even my future.I found out about Bitcoin during the summer of 2012... and now here I am today... taking this journey with you all here on SteemIt and I can't think of anything more exciting!
And the best part... We are still early to the party! This is only the beginning! There is still so much more to learn and I hope that we all can live more free and fulfilled lives as we explore further into this subject.
Ultimately what we trust as money will end up shaping the trust we have in each other. Trust is the foundation of freedom and that is why understanding the infrastructure of money is so critically important. Will we use it to build a golden age of freedom? Or will we use it to perpetuate a system of scarcity and slavery?
I guess time will tell.
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Guys, Girls, Everyone!
I believe that freedom is a worthy life study. How about you?
Thank you for taking the time to read.
Thank you for taking the time to think.
Wil Metcalfe
"Freedom at the expense of others freedom is no freedom at all."
-Wil Metcalfe
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Thank you all!
Replies (43)
Our generation will enjoying freedom but our future generation more power than we are suffering from, they are going live totally freedom life style I think it's dangerous for our future kids
So your concerned about the future our kids are going to be living? Do you think it's possible for our generation to build a world that is more free for our kids? or do you think we are NOT going to be able to shake free of the current Slave Systems grasp?
I think we will not be able to get rid of current slave systems
I think we will not
Be able to get rid of
Current slave systems
- steembd077
I'm a bot. I detect haiku.
aaaaaaa?
Look at that... You have a bot tracking you! lol! Could this be the next slave system a.k. A.I. Test Net? lol!
But seriously... Slavery is a by-product of our minds first and foremost. If we don't think we can live free... then it is really hard to open the mind enough to find ways that we can be free right now and into the future.
What I'm saying is that freedom is a state of mind. Free minds value and create the infrastructure needed to produce more and more freedom. For me freedom is all about who I can trust and it's all about having REAL significant, game changing financial options.
One of the biggest problems is that we live in a world that is set up to provide 'freedom' to a select few BUT at the expense of other people’s freedom. It's the same business plan throughout the ages isn’t it? Whatever happened to creating systems where you set up others to win and in so doing you win as well? Whatever happened to the evolution of human rights and our way of life anyway?! Are we really alright with doing things the same as they have been done for thousands of years?
I think we can challenge and change this paradigm and although I believe the Slave System has its own self-preservation in mind right now... I think it is very threatened by the inception of crypto-currency.
A system based entirely on credit and debt requires that people buy into the lies, false promises, and fake news to perpetuate it's self into the future.
The people who listen to the wrong information (It's the Information/Miss-Information Age after all!) will continue to prop up that system for the time being. But they will subsequently have to play the game according to the agreed upon terms. For them this will increasingly be like trying to win with their arms tied behind their back.
That's what debt does... When you sign the agreement, you are agreeing to play the game according to someone eases agenda... Most people don't realize this and it's a heavy price to pay for following the 'desires' of your heart. (Are these consumption points really what you want...? or do you just want more time... time to live! These are things that have been on my mind lately…)
I always found it frustrating; feeling like I didn't have a choice... Feeling like I had to play the game the way 'they' wanted me to even when it didn't feel like I was winning.
Have you ever played a board game (when you were a kid) but people kept on changing the rules in the middle of the game? Pretty soon you didn’t want to play right? It wasn’t fun any more…
The beautiful thing about technologies like Bitcoin is that they mean we don’t have to play the game of money according to the centralized powers shifting, and self-serving dictates. It allows us all to play the game with our own rules. Winning means a completely different thing to each and every person… and now, we can each establish for ourselves what it means to be successful.
Personally, I think that bringing money up to speed with internet technology will be a giant leap forward for innovation, freedom and human rights around the world. (Especially in the 3rd world) I believe that this technology is going to be the corner stone to a new age and will be just as important as the printing press was during the cultural revolution or the creation of the internet was in our time.
Will there be friction and uncertainty during this transition time? Yes... there will be. Crypto-currency is the front lines where the battle for our freedom and rights are taking place. It’s important to realize this.
But in this transition time there is a huge potential of opportunity. We get to actively shape the future our kids will live in... and maybe, if we are lucky, we will enjoy some of that freedom as well...
But it won't be without growing pains.
Freedom is something that can be gained by trying and fighting. The slaves believed they could do it and they fought for it.
Spoken like a true American @tornadoman! At the very least I believe that freedom is something that is sacrificed for… But what if the sacrifices out weigh the freedoms gained? What then? I think people are beginning to question what is and isn’t worth fighting for.
I hope that we do not have to resort to revolutions and violence to effect change. Although I believe we are in the middle of a currency war right now... This is how wars are mainly waged today. Economically.
I think that's another reason why Bitcoin has become what it is today. I was watching it when it was $10 a Bitcoin... I didn't see Bitcoin going to the prices it has gone to at the time... But here we are! To me this indicates that the new generation is very interested in money and the freedom of options it gives. They have also woken up to the fact that money's current structure is being used to take away their freedoms.
And the question has to be asked… Is Bitcoin priced the way it is because they have turned the dollar into trash… or is it because Bitcoin is actually the new money. Personally… I think that we have a little bit of all of the above.
Freedom is freedom.
Freedom means to express your feelings and thoughts without any external pressure.
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STOPThank you for sharing your version of "freedom to" and "freedom from" @coolguy222. So you believe that freedom begins with free speech? Could you be more specific about the "external pressure" you mentioned. It would be great to understand what you mean by this a little more. You have my attention. :)
Yes, with free speech.
When you are not free to say something at your own will.
When you are forced to do something which you don't want. It's known as external pressure.
I think your right in that free speech is foundational to freedom... But I think a lot of people get distracted by "the freedom to" and forget "the freedom from" aspect of this topic.
What I mean by this is that centralize authority have distracted us, the people, by getting us to think that freedom is only about "freedom to".
"I'm free to speak whatever I want to speak."
But this is tested when you try to act upon what you speak. That's where "freedom from" comes into play. I think more thought needs to take place around this aspect of freedom.
I don't think that people should be allowed to do whatever they want to do if it's detrimental to other people or the environment... But that's where the line of the free and the slave blur.
Money is the main governor to determining how free people live their lives... I think this is why our generation is reinventing money with the creation of crypto currency. I think this is the reason decentralized models of exchange are so important.
You are right, when freedom is concerned with money then no doubt that money determines the freedom .
But relating freedom with money is another thing.
I'm not quite sure that I follow. You don't think that money should be connected with freedom?
When talking about freedom then money is not the priority. To have freedom, money is not necessary.
Let's take an example.
A lot of people in the world have money but don't have freedom. Like people in Kashmir ,they want to be the part of Pakistan but India is rejecting their will.
What do you think about freedom?
You think that for freedom, money is the requirement? I don't think so
Freedom and money are systemically synonymous. Without one you can not have the other. Money is a tool and if it is properly understood and implemented it can create options, access, and subsequent freedom of choice. If, however, it is not understood and implemented then those with the money will dictate to those without it what they should do with their time. Systemically this is how the world operates.
I think that what your implying is a different aspect of freedom (Could it be that we are both looking at the same thing just from different angles?) It is true that people with money can be slaves... Because freedom is a state of mind first and foremost... Freedom happens in the mind first before it becomes physically manifested in the tangible world.
Often when we see a person who should be free (a person with ‘money’) but they are not… the reason they are not is because of the constructs of their mind. They are caught up in things that create slavery. Things like addiction, consumerism, materialism, and debt. It can look like they are well off on the outside… But because of the condition of their inner lives they are not. These people end up selfishly spending everything they earn… and usually on themselves.
Or, as another example, the person who looks well off but has a J.O.B. (Just Over Broke) they hate… Because they fear a life without money and the lifestyle and things it provides. Their desire for security in an unsecure world motivates them to stay safely within the confines and parameters of their J.O.B. The J.O.B. and what it yields is as far as the playground permits. So how you think about money and how you make income does matter after all… Conversely, how you spend money is also a vital determinant in your own personal levels of tangible freedom.
So to, It is possible for someone to be free, to an extent, without money. As a personal example… I am learning that in order to free myself completely I need to change how I think about money completely. This is what, I would say, is the flip side of the coin. (It would seem that freedom is not a simple idea but a multidimensional concept!) If I need money… then I am a slave to it. But if I don’t need money then I am free. And the less I am in need (of anything for that matter) the more free I am. I have been focusing on this aspect of freedom because it allows me to be a better investor. (Yes! Of my money! LoL!) My thinking is less clouded and my emotional intelligence is higher when money and greed (fear of missing out or fear of loss) doesn’t hold my heart in check.
But, systemically, when it comes down to it my point stands. Those freedoms, we all hold so dear, will always be limited by the tangible world. Money is the tool that creates the power to act on those freedoms of the mind... You can not strip it away and think you will live a free life for very long.
Money buys access... there is no way to rationalize this in any other way... The difficulty is that everyone has a different version of what it means to be free. But one thing is certain... You can not deny that money is important to one’s freedom and the outcome of your future demise. The maintenance of ones freedom in a capital world requires vast amounts of money... If you don't believe me why don't you give all your money away to the poor...
I think that you will find your spirit (for that moment) will be free... But will you have more options and choices? Will you be able to help other people in need? Will you have more time with your loved ones? Will you have access to a roof over your head? Will you be able to live in such a way so as to not be a burden on others? Will you be able to expand your mind with travel and see the world and what it has to offer?
As you can see… Money is a definite factor in the way that one lives their life and the quality of choices one has to direct their life. Being without money is like being without a paddle. Without a paddle the river dictates to you the direction and course of your life. I believe that what I’m talking about here is financial freedom… and it can basically be summed up in a simple math equation.
If you want me to I will tell you the formula… But only if your interested @coolguy222.
Yes, indeed we are thinking about freedom from different angles, you are too right in your opinion.
I'm here always to learn, it will be honour for me if you are ready to tell more, I will like to learn more from you.
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STOPWhat are you waiting for?
Tell me more, I'm interested.
Guess what pioneer. I just made an upvote bot
Interesting... what exactly does the bot do @tornadoman? Upvote in what way? A list you generate?
It’s an upvote bot you send 0.005 steem or sbd to my bot and you will receive an upvote on your most recent post. If you delegate 100 or more you will get auto upvoted on every post
I’m actually still coding it
I have a question can you upvote this reply so I can get more steem power
Hi @teenagecrypto. Thanks for sharing your current project with me however... I’m, mostly, NOT a fan of the current move towards bots on this platform. I think, for the most part, it erodes the value this platform has (There are, on the other hand, some exceptions...) to offer the social media marketplace. This is the reason I chose NOT to upvote your comment.
Ok thanks anyway I think I figured out a way to get more steem power
I respect your decision
For me, it's a eternal hunt for the most, privilege of the few...
I don't think that humans will ever be totally free because there will always be someone who wants "more freedom", primarily financial freedom, but power as well.
And they won't hold down of getting their higher freedom by lowering down or destroying someone else's freedom.
Same thing goes with banks. Their owners are super greedy.
Few days ago I went to a bank to see how much money I will get in interest if I put in 4k. I will win more than that on sports betting if I bet that Liverpool will beat Red Star in football.
But if you try to take a loan for a 4k.
Currently, I don't think cryptocurrency will make a real difference. After all, currency is currency. Although in cryptocurrency world we don't have banks/middle person to take a large cut on every transaction, which is good.
But even if we all adopt BitCoins or any other cryptocurrency, it would be a matter of time when the banks are going to shift to this new currency and start benefiting on it.
Even now we have marketplaces who take good piece of the action for cryptocurrency trading.
PS: I like the way you think, and general idea that you go for. With that in mind, are you open for some business proposals?
I missed opportunity to get into the cryptocurrency world in time when it was cheap.
And I do regret about it :-)
How about you? Have you bought it at the right time or not?
Why not offer a "hand work"?
Bots just destroy the fun of everything.
But, on other hand I do know people who would pay for real human interaction in comment boxes...
Building a tons of bots would just lead us to destroying the value this platform has.
I changed it to a minnow support program account and i now upvote one minnow each day
Hi @lanmis! I just thought I would drop by to say, "Hi!" to a good friend! Sorry I have been absent from this page over the last couple months! I came across the @Actifit project and because I am in the habit of asking myself, "Why not now?" I decided to open up my @BeachReady and @AdventureReady as well @Wil.Metcalfe (my certified personal trainer handle) blogs! Come and join me over there brother! Most of my posts are health and fitness related but rest assured... My efforts here on the @NewPioneer blog are just beginning... I still have plans and content I will be posting here! Lots of exciting stuff actually! For example: I went fishing/canoeing this fall and took my gopro with me! That's just one of the things I plan on posting here!
So yeah! I thought I owed you an explanation as to my sudden disappearance from my @NewPioneer blogging. I'm still alive and well! :D
In answer to your question... I missed BTC at 400/5000 but I managed to ride it up from there until about $17,000. That's when I decided to, rather than ride the roller coaster up and down for thrills, get out and I ended up sinking a sizable portion of my portfolio here into SteemIt! It's been a fun and fairly healthy endeavor here as we wait out the crypto winter season!
I think I have learned from missing out on the lower Bitcoin prices... But only time will tell if that is actually true! :D
Hope I see you over on my other blogs brother! You have been missed! :)
I'm really glad to hear that you accepted new challenge. Hope you get awesome results with it.
I also challenged myself to get back in a top form which I had few years ago (before I started working online...sitting in-front of computer for several hours per day)
If you're serious about steemit, I can transfer you everything from my wallet from steemit...it ain't much, but since I'm not fan of steemit cryptocurrency, I won't use them.
Hi @lanmis! Thank you for stopping by here on this end of my SteemIt endeavours! It’s really good to see a familiar face! Honestly I’m sad to hear that your feeling low about the prospects of the Steem Blockchain... 😢 It feels like I’ve made a solid online friend so I honestly hope that you don’t abandon ship. Your more valued here than you know my friend!
I would like to ask you the question... and because we have been able to talk at depth about many different things I know that I will receive an honest and well thought out reply.
Why are you feeling this way about SteemIt? Has something happened or have you learned or discovered something that doesn’t sit well with you about Steem that perhaps I am unaware of? Have you found a better project? Or perhaps you have changed your opinion on crypto-currency and the state of freedom in general? What has changed @lanmis? I’m all ears and I’m listening.
I guess this is a good opportunity to ask you about the business proposition you had mentioned on my other account. I don’t want to dismiss you in this matter... with the launch of @beachready, @adventureready, the #AutomaticWin Step Challenge, and my continued by not published @NewPioneer efforts I have had more than my work cut out for me! This said... because it’s you! I’m always willing to listen and turn what you have to say over in my mind.
I hope that your doing well this Christmas season! I wish you more prosperity, freedom, and luck in the coming year! I hope, as well, that your able to spend this time with those you love. Merry Christmas @lanmis! 😊
Main reason is because I don't have time for it. Since I own and manage several businesses (and new startups are being added constantly), time is something that I don't have very much.
For 2019 I'm launching dozens new startups (with some other partners, none of them is not 100% mine). And in total I have set a goal to raise a business to higher level and income. My main goal is to reach the 55mil euros per month income, and spend it all on charities and employing some serious number of people.
Although, there are several smaller reasons why I have never been serious with steemit:
I have zero trust in the founders (I think they are very greedy and don't really bring a value, just fake it), not enough quality content (most people "force" their posts just to get rewards-no real value behind it, I don't like platforms where users make money from users who use it to make money...with that system it looks something like a Ponzi scheme, too many bots that usually ruin everything, and so on.
Just because I won't be active on stemit, it doesn't mean we can't connect and talk on other platforms. For example, you can always reach me on skype, viber, linkedin, twitter, sometimes facebook...
If you are active on any of them, we can talk about potential business partnership there, since everything posted here in comments is public...you never know who might see it and take some idea of it...
By the way, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Wish you all the best in 2019.
PS:
Some small fact, which most people don't know.
In my country Christmas comes 13 days after than it does in western countries. Serbia, like many other countries (Greece, Bulgaria, Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, etc.) is Orthodox. That's why Orthodox countries celebrate 2 New Years per Year...1 the "main one" on 31. December, second on 13. January.
Thank you @lanmis! It’s going to be a great year for the both of us I’m certain! Happy New Year and Yukrainian Christmas (?) to you as well! 🎄(That’s the only Christmas I’m aware of that starts at a later date than the regular one so I hope I’m not saying something off here! Haha!)
So! I have, or am in the middle, of abandoning all other forms of Social Media. Facebook (for example) hasn’t treated my business well over the years... not to mention I have found it to be a defective tool for connecting me with my friends and family. It actually works better to disconnect people I’ve found. So for me it’s back to the old school way of staying connected... and the new way... SteemIt! :)
Besides this... I have been using Discord as the @Actifit community cordinates there. Perhaps we could chat in privacy there? If your up for this I’ll send you a link. Would this work for you @lanmis?
If you like old school way, I'm sending a pigeon right away :-)
I just made a Discord profile. Send me a link or try finding me there, my username is same like here (at least I think it is :-) )
Sorry for my delayed response @lanmis! I finnally found some time to get back to you.
My Discord user name is the same one I'm using here on SteemIt. "wil.metcalfe".
Here is the link to the @Actifit Discord where you can find me:
https://discordapp.com/invite/JsM5fdU
I look forward to chatting with you in real time on Discord...
That way we don't have to rely on pigeons! hahaha! :D
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