wood for sheep, freedom for safety

[rone]

There's that old Ben Franklin chestnut that floats around, the one about those who trade freedom for safety deserve neither. And it's cute `n' all... but we trade freedom for safety every hour of every day. And we're all free do quit our jobs, to leave our families, to break the law. That's why i say that freedom (and free will) is a fiction — because there isn't an alternative. You can't not be free.

The one thing you can't be free from is consequences. Quitting your job, leaving your family, breaking the law, they have consequences. So do keeping your job, staying with your family, obeying the law. You have the choice; you make your decision and thereby bring on the consequences.

Life is a balance of freedom and safety, because freedom is another word for risk. You can trade in your freedom for some safety, but you don't have enough freedom to buy you complete safety. If you think otherwise... well, maybe that's what Ben meant.

Comments

[kodi]

If you change "trade" to "forsake," it produces a statement I think I can agree with.

Re:

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

There you go, makin' sense again.

Re:

[kodi]

Would it help if I said, "you need wood for the hull, and sheep for cotton to make the sails?"

Re:

[lusercop.livejournal.com]

Since when did cotton come from sheep!?

Re:

[kodi]

I'm not sure... I think it's a process kind of like kopi luwak?

It's all about extremes again, innit?

[erikred.livejournal.com]

Sure, we all strike a balance between freedom and safety. Woe to the person who begins to believe that the existence of the one precludes the existence of the other. Woe, woe, I say!

With the weeping and the moaning and the gnashing of teeth, gnyah, gnyah, gnyah!

Re: It's all about extremes again, innit?

[ronebofh.livejournal.com]

The gnashing of teeth frees our teeth from the tyranny of enamel!@!!!

Re: It's all about extremes again, innit?

[erikred.livejournal.com]

All hail the lemon-juice liberators!