There is a lot of talk about the cessation of our freedoms. From COVID-19 regulations to changing government regimes and accelerated climate change, our ideals of what freedom looks like have been challenged.
For decades, the notions of liberty and basic human rights have been flaunted out of context to the point where many have forgotten that freedom can never stand isolated. It needs to be propped up with responsibility (some would say that they are indeed one and the same).
With freedom comes responsibility. Freedom without responsibility leads to evil, responsibility without freedom leads to slavery. Communion of both is necessary. –Ayan Banerjee
A robust balance is needed. Elbert Hubbard once said that responsibility is the price of freedom. Standing on the precipice of a new era, Nelson Mandela said in his 1995 State of the Nation address; “The time has come to accept in our hearts and minds that with freedom comes responsibility.”
At the dawn of the fourth industrial revolution, our understanding of what responsibility looks like is being heavily tested – and that is what is challenging our freedoms. Yuval Noah Harari said that questions we can’t answer are better for us than answers we can’t question. Perhaps, in an age where we are overwhelmed with information and messages firing at us constantly, we need to exercise our curiosity and ask more questions.
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
The water has been muddied by exabytes of truths, half-truths and untruths. I believe that one of the first responsibilities we have is to build small networks of trusted friends, colleagues and advisers who will help us clear the water around us and discover what our next responsible steps look like in order to embrace freedoms that benefit us all.
It’s not going to be easy, but I hope we will be able to achieve it.
“Most people do not really want freedom, because freedom involves responsibility, and most people are afraid of responsibility.” -Sigmund Freud
