I see freedom as an essential part of society. Without freedom, especially the freedom to choose how to live one’s life (religiously/spiritually, socially, and economically), human beings can never truly be content or at peace, within themselves or with others.
The Biggest Problem in the World
The majority of people practice no kind of philosophy in life whatsoever. If people had a more philosophical perspective towards life, I believe that people would be happier. That’s what I see as the biggest problem in the world.
Without a guiding philosophy in life, people wander from one attachment to another, finding happiness only in whatever provides external stimulation. Most things in life have as much power as we give them. Income, for example, can increase or decrease our overall happiness to an extent, but if each person had a more philosophical (and I think realistic) outlook on life, they would find happiness in the things that really matter.
I, personally, practice spirituality, and find that it adds great value to my life. But if spirituality isn’t for you, then at least practice a philosophy composed of logic, morality, love, and freedom.
Logic, morality, love, and freedom―exactly what the world is in need of!
Government Spending Can’t Fix It
A friend of mine always wants the government to step in and fix what he sees as the greatest problems in the world. One of the problems that really concerns him is child obesity.
The poorest people are often seen eating fast food, which costs at least twice as much as cooking at home. (I suppose the Dollar menu may be the exception.) No amount of government spending can undo the natural laziness that goes along with the large majority of people who just don’t care about themselves or what’s in their own best interests … even the health of their own body!
It’s extremely unfortunate that the children of these kinds of parents are raised in the kinds of conditions that contribute to their obesity. As they become adults though, they then need to take responsibility for their own health, diets, and exercise.
All of this is unfortunate, but I don’t see how much the government can really do. Children may not know what’s healthy for them, but adults do. When I see the people I work with stop at Sheetz, Burger King, and McDonald’s and get fast food everyday and chase it down with a giant sized soda, they all know that it’s unhealthy for them. They simply don’t care, and would rather indulge their insatiable desire for the taste of fast food and the desire to avoid cooking. Government spending won’t fix it, and more education will go in one ear and out the other (in my opinion). Bleak as it may sound, this is free-will and all that accompanies it. As I’ve said many times, with freedom comes responsibility.
And a side note on all of the recent ideas on taxing everything that’s unhealthy for us: of all the people who I went to school with who smoked, not one of them who did quit did so because of the cost. All of them knew (and still know) that smoking is bad. If they did quit, they quit because they wanted to become healthier or out of their own sense of self-worth and self-responsibility. Education (or lack thereof) wasn’t the issue. And tax increases didn’t deter them in the least.
People have a right to live how they want without government interference. That’s what freedom is all about!
Excerpted from Them and Us: A Philosophy of Freedom by Adam Soto
Mind / Purpose / Truth 