Humans are born free and everywhere else is in chains.

We all want freedom. We all want choices. But the more choices we have, the more we realize we are still trapped. We trade parts of ourselves to fit into society.

Some become victims of the envious. You may be harassed and bullied because of your intellectual abilities.

We give up some freedoms in order to gain benefits like safety, jobs, and homes. Like trading one cage for another.

In the past, people had fewer choices. They lived where they were born, did what their parents did, and followed local laws and traditions. Today, thanks to the internet and modern society, we can be whoever we want. Do you want to change your job at 40? You can. Do you want to change your gender? That’s okay. Our personal freedom has never been higher, especially in the Western world.

However, we are not as free as we think we are. The internet gives us a world of choices, but it also enslaves us to likes, follows, and trends. It’s still a cage, but now it’s made of data and code. You can choose where to go, what to do, and who to see, but those choices come with their own set of problems. Even in this digital world, we have to contend with new kinds of predators and traps. So, even if the cage gets bigger, it’s still a cage.

The idea of trading freedom for benefits is not new. It’s an old argument with no easy answer. While the main argument takes a Western perspective where freedom is abundant, it’s essential to consider societies where personal freedoms are limited. In such cultures, the trade-off between individual freedoms and societal benefits becomes even greater and more complex.

Also, while modern society offers us more freedoms, these choices can be a double-edged sword. Too many choices can lead to stress or uncertainty, leading us to question whether these freedoms are real or just an illusion. And even though we have moved many of our choices to the digital world, it is important to note that online freedom comes with new constraints – such as data privacy concerns and mental health issues associated with social media use.

It is true that each of us chooses how much freedom we will trade for the good of society. But what if these choices are forced upon us? What if economic or social pressures decide for us? These questions suggest that our trade-offs between freedom and society are not just personal decisions, but are also shaped by larger systemic issues.

So are we really free? The answer is complicated. The cage may be expanding, but it still exists, reminding us that the struggle to find the perfect balance between individual freedom and social good continues.

The Story of Henry David Thoreau: A Historic Struggle for Individual Freedom

In 1845, a man named Henry David Thoreau decided to conduct an unusual experiment. He decided to distance himself from society, its norms, obligations, and impositions, and moved to a cabin in the woods near Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Thoreau, a writer and philosopher, was friends with Ralph Waldo Emerson, another prominent figure who often spoke of individualism and transcendence.

Thoreau was fed up with society’s relentless march toward industrialization, the expansion of railroads, and the institution of slavery. He felt that society was a cage of its own making that was stifling the human spirit. And so, he made a strong decision to break free and live freely on his own terms. He immersed himself in nature for two years, two months, and two days, writing what would later become his famous book, Walden.

He fished, observed the natural world, read, and wrote. While many might argue that he was not completely isolated from society—he lived only two miles from his family home and often entertained guests—Thoreau displayed a certain resistance to the social norms of his time.

Yet, even as Thoreau was isolating himself, he knew that his version of freedom had its limits. He was still a white man in a society dominated by white men. His privilege allowed him to choose to retreat to Walden Pond, a freedom not extended to many others. During his Walden retreat, he spent a night in jail for refusing to pay his poll tax, protesting slavery, and the Mexican-American War. This experience inspired him to write the essay “Civil Disobedience,” advocating individual protest against government injustices.

Thoreau's actions were in stark contrast to the social conventions and structures of his time, but they were not entirely devoid of social influence. His ideas, though radical at the time, were shared by others in his transcendental circles. For example, Emerson was a strong supporter and even owned the land surrounding Walden Pond where Thoreau resided.

Moreover, Thoreau's natural freedom at Walden Pond was not absolute. He still had to return to the community occasionally to obtain provisions, and at the end of his experiment he returned to the city and became more involved in political activity.

Henry David Thoreau's life at Walden Pond shows that the struggle between individual freedom and social norms is a constant and dynamic tension. Even those who try to distance themselves find themselves inextricably tied to the society they seek to escape. And while they may choose to distance themselves, they often find that they cannot completely escape the social structures and systems that govern the world around them. This makes Thoreau's experiment not an absolute solution, but rather an indication of the complex relationship between freedom and society, a tension that is still relevant today.

In many places, women's freedom and equality with men are discussed, but when you delve deeper into the matter, it is not so. Today, women are exploited in various ways.

According to information obtained in one European country, whenever someone settles in that country, the female staff is forced to have sex with these patients as a welcome gesture, and many of the women are suffering from unknown and chronic diseases.