… a question that has boggle my mind for some time now? I have heard it said that all men are born free, though Rousseau argues that every man is in chain even if born free. Physically we come tied to our Mother and we have to be untied to continue life and why we can argue that we are then free, we are dependent to have our needs met, so it is a some what thwarted freedom.
But lately I have been thinking that we are born tied mentally and psychologically to some beliefs and way of thinking. Whether we were born with these or acquire by virtue of the environment we are born into is unclear. But this is the platform on which we find ourselves. Some of theses thoughts and beliefs are uplifting and enabling but some are incredibly limiting, incapacitating and other times down right destructive and those are the ones we need to work on. But just like a person born in prison (because the mum is a prisoner), knows no better, he or she has only known prison and accepts prison has home, having never tasted freedom, is unaware that he or she is imprisoned. Most prison only allow the child to be with the mum for 18 months. But I wonder the impact on the child for the rest of his or her life having started out life in this manner. The child is innocent and while the child’s cognitive awareness of the environment is limited, how much of the psychological state of the Mum is embraced and imbibed.
As supposedly free children born to free parent. I will like to argue that we are not as free as we think. We are born imprisoned to some mindset that might not be in our best interest. When we come of age , it is imperative that we become aware of such and break free. We have to then put in the work to set ourselves free. But how can you become free when you don’t even know you are a slave? When you don’t know the place you call home is a prison? When you don’t know the food you eat is prison food?You don’t know your friends are fellow prisoners. When you don’t know the people that you look up to are slave masters and prison wardens? People’s whose mandate is to keep you imprisoned? In the mental world, there is no sign outside the door that reads in neon light ‘prison’, neither do the slave masters or wardens wear the ‘title’ on their shirts. They sure have titles but it is spelt differently, it reads something else, the name does not give the clue, the clue is in the performance. It takes discernment and awareness to know where we are and who people are.
The only way to know without external influence is to look deep into the soul and listen to prompting of the inner man. A time comes when our very being rejects every form of imprisonment and this is when the excruciatingly hard work commences. A work/task we can choose to accept or not. The choice is entirely ours. The mind needs to be freed, I will argue it is not born free or it is nor brought up free. We can choose to do nothing and continue to eat prison food and live prison lifestyle and we will survive but as a prisoner and for some that is acceptable. Or we can seek and fight for our own freedom and eat the meal of a free man in a free place. Mental freedom must be earned, it must be fought for, it does not drop unto our laps or arrive on a plate unordered in our front on our table.
The freedom of the mind is an endeavour each man must approch with all earnestness. No man can do the job for us, they can aid in the process, but we must position ourselves and open up our minds. The key is in our hands.
Break out of prison, stay in prison, the choice is yours, but the mind is to be set free.
Free the mind!
Beautiful Ivory 