The concept of freedom is often viewed subjectively. This is because the way a person value freedom greatly depends on his experiences that shape his understanding of this concept. I myself have my own way of looking at freedom. My understanding of such term is the product of personal experiences which led towards having core principles that facilitate my understanding of freedom. These experiences also led towards learning responsibility, attaining higher moral standards and proper modes of conduct.
Freedom is defined as the human capacity to act and live as people choose, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions. People view and value freedom differently based on the specific situation they are in. For a person in captivity, freedom means having another chance or achieving a state when they are released or rescued from being physically bound, or from being confined, enslaved, captured, or imprisoned. For a country which desires independence, freedom as synonymous to independence is the power to rule itself, without interfering from or possibly domination by, another country or power.
Freedom can also exist in various forms like freedom of self-expression, freedom to acquire ownership of certain property, freedom to occupy a certain place, and other rights embodied in the declaration of human rights.
I look at freedom as the ability to exercise free will and make choices independently of any external determining force. Freedom is always anchored on human responsibility, the feeling of being accountable for any outcome that may surface with the decision made or action implemented. Freedom is not limited even if the society plays a major role in influencing course of human conduct. People respond to situation in a number of ways depending on how they view things, what their philosophies are, what value they promote and what human characteristics they possess. Simply put, freedom is the ultimate capacity of man to live out his individuality without being limited by external factors. Freedom is the right of the individual to choose what would best express the person that they are. Every decision they make somehow acts out their overall personality.
When I was a kid, I, being so small and frail, experienced being bullied by a few of my classmates. When I was in grade 1, I felt so helpless when Rene, one of the biggest boys in class, took my favorite toy and threatened me that if I would go and tell Mrs, Quintin, our class adviser what had happened, he swore he would punch me at the end of the class. That was one of the most memorable experiences that I have in my early childhood years. It was then that I realized, that for one, there are bad people around who would try to hurt me, and two, the world is not fair. On that very day, I walked home thinking about the toy that was stolen from me and I kept on repeating to myself, “If only I was bigger and stronger…”
What Rene showcased was a personality of being egoistic. Well, it may seem be true that we were just kids by then and that Rene’s not-so-good behavior was a product of his innocence and “I-don’t-care” attitude seen in most kids. But I still stand with my belief that he is egoistic. Just recently, when I went to Emall to satisfy my craving for a hot Takoyaki, I saw Rene with his bunch of friends. He had spiked hair, wore black shirt, and walked like he was about to bump anyone that would stand his way. I lot of things changed all right, but his attitude sure will not. Same old scary Rene- maybe even worse.
Freedom stems from the inherent human desire to promote his own welfare. The behavior of man is leaned towards making choices that would lead to greater happiness. In the course of making choices, man tends to affect other people negatively, in the sense that these people endure the consequences of a certain act made by one individual. That is where responsibility comes in.
I made a really stupid mistake when I was twelve. Today, that certain mistake which put me to extreme embarrassment was still so clear to my memory as if it happened just yesterday. When I was in Grade 6, I belonged to the top five of the graduating class. And as expected, I needed to practice being a model for others and to prove that I deserve to be in the position where I was- a candidate for Valedictorian. Unfortunately, I messed up. Our class adviser, Mrs. Gomez, was talking to a friend inside the class one morning while the class was doing some English work. I finished the work quickly that it gave me some time to play with some scratch paper inside my bag, just to ease boredom. I folded papers to make boats, jet planes, submarine, hat, air planes and many more. I was joined by my friend Francisco who was then competing with the title “The Origami Master.” I threw my airplane up in the air to prove its superb aerodynamics and my amazing workmanship. Just then, a fortuitous event came and my airplane flew its way to my teacher’s mouth. Well, my intention was not to be called a sharpshooter. It just so happened that probably my work has a mind of its own and wanted to land on a “dark cave”. Haha.
What happened next? Of course I was scolded. I had to stand in front of the class as they wait for me to admit my mistake. I did not confess. They waited for the rest of the morning’s session for me to apologize. Francisco was asked to join in my darkest hour of punishment because I was so stupid to call him as the culprit. At that time, all I was thinking was the way my friends would see me, the teachers would view me as a student, and the prestige I was aiming for as being Rank 1.
Okay. I was a bad boy. The issue was forgotten without being settled. But actually, that event became my turning point in my quest of understanding the real meaning of freedom. It led me to a personal transformation towards becoming more just, and practicing the sense of responsibility. After the event, I realized that I was wrong and I should have begged for apology. Responsibility, admit it or not, is a human choice. Freedom necessitates practice of responsibility because responsibility serves as basis in assessing the rightness of an act. Human conduct, to be morally justifiable must incorporate the welfare of the people affected, the impact on the society at glance, and not just the individual satisfaction.
From the experience, the moral responsibility I learned is my responsibility to promote truth and justice. I should have told the truth and faced the consequences of my mistakes. I should have become fair and should have been considerate about the welfare of other people, especially Francisco who was innocent but still had faced the embarrassment of being scolded in front of the class.
I never had a chance to talk and apologize to Francisco about what had happened. It still is a mystery to me that he had not solely accused me of my involvement in the “airplane on the cave” controversy. Maybe, he was just really a good person who would not leave a friend behind to experience agony. Maybe, he was just afraid to defend himself because he was out-of-words because we are all obliged to use English as the medium of communication during English Class. Or maybe even worse, it was his airplane that actually put me to shame. No one knows.
Likewise, I never had chance to apologize to Mrs. Gomez. She died three to four years ago because of a heart attack. But despite her death, she will surely remain in my memory because she is made an important part in my personal development. She taught me life’s realities which ultimately led towards having a strong foundation of my own core principles in life. Thank you ma’am, wherever you are.
Freedom is defined as the human capacity to act and live as people choose, without being subject to any undue restraints or restrictions. People view and value freedom differently based on the specific situation they are in. For a person in captivity, freedom means having another chance or achieving a state when they are released or rescued from being physically bound, or from being confined, enslaved, captured, or imprisoned. For a country which desires independence, freedom as synonymous to independence is the power to rule itself, without interfering from or possibly domination by, another country or power.
Freedom can also exist in various forms like freedom of self-expression, freedom to acquire ownership of certain property, freedom to occupy a certain place, and other rights embodied in the declaration of human rights.
I look at freedom as the ability to exercise free will and make choices independently of any external determining force. Freedom is always anchored on human responsibility, the feeling of being accountable for any outcome that may surface with the decision made or action implemented. Freedom is not limited even if the society plays a major role in influencing course of human conduct. People respond to situation in a number of ways depending on how they view things, what their philosophies are, what value they promote and what human characteristics they possess. Simply put, freedom is the ultimate capacity of man to live out his individuality without being limited by external factors. Freedom is the right of the individual to choose what would best express the person that they are. Every decision they make somehow acts out their overall personality.
When I was a kid, I, being so small and frail, experienced being bullied by a few of my classmates. When I was in grade 1, I felt so helpless when Rene, one of the biggest boys in class, took my favorite toy and threatened me that if I would go and tell Mrs, Quintin, our class adviser what had happened, he swore he would punch me at the end of the class. That was one of the most memorable experiences that I have in my early childhood years. It was then that I realized, that for one, there are bad people around who would try to hurt me, and two, the world is not fair. On that very day, I walked home thinking about the toy that was stolen from me and I kept on repeating to myself, “If only I was bigger and stronger…”
What Rene showcased was a personality of being egoistic. Well, it may seem be true that we were just kids by then and that Rene’s not-so-good behavior was a product of his innocence and “I-don’t-care” attitude seen in most kids. But I still stand with my belief that he is egoistic. Just recently, when I went to Emall to satisfy my craving for a hot Takoyaki, I saw Rene with his bunch of friends. He had spiked hair, wore black shirt, and walked like he was about to bump anyone that would stand his way. I lot of things changed all right, but his attitude sure will not. Same old scary Rene- maybe even worse.
Freedom stems from the inherent human desire to promote his own welfare. The behavior of man is leaned towards making choices that would lead to greater happiness. In the course of making choices, man tends to affect other people negatively, in the sense that these people endure the consequences of a certain act made by one individual. That is where responsibility comes in.
I made a really stupid mistake when I was twelve. Today, that certain mistake which put me to extreme embarrassment was still so clear to my memory as if it happened just yesterday. When I was in Grade 6, I belonged to the top five of the graduating class. And as expected, I needed to practice being a model for others and to prove that I deserve to be in the position where I was- a candidate for Valedictorian. Unfortunately, I messed up. Our class adviser, Mrs. Gomez, was talking to a friend inside the class one morning while the class was doing some English work. I finished the work quickly that it gave me some time to play with some scratch paper inside my bag, just to ease boredom. I folded papers to make boats, jet planes, submarine, hat, air planes and many more. I was joined by my friend Francisco who was then competing with the title “The Origami Master.” I threw my airplane up in the air to prove its superb aerodynamics and my amazing workmanship. Just then, a fortuitous event came and my airplane flew its way to my teacher’s mouth. Well, my intention was not to be called a sharpshooter. It just so happened that probably my work has a mind of its own and wanted to land on a “dark cave”. Haha.
What happened next? Of course I was scolded. I had to stand in front of the class as they wait for me to admit my mistake. I did not confess. They waited for the rest of the morning’s session for me to apologize. Francisco was asked to join in my darkest hour of punishment because I was so stupid to call him as the culprit. At that time, all I was thinking was the way my friends would see me, the teachers would view me as a student, and the prestige I was aiming for as being Rank 1.
Okay. I was a bad boy. The issue was forgotten without being settled. But actually, that event became my turning point in my quest of understanding the real meaning of freedom. It led me to a personal transformation towards becoming more just, and practicing the sense of responsibility. After the event, I realized that I was wrong and I should have begged for apology. Responsibility, admit it or not, is a human choice. Freedom necessitates practice of responsibility because responsibility serves as basis in assessing the rightness of an act. Human conduct, to be morally justifiable must incorporate the welfare of the people affected, the impact on the society at glance, and not just the individual satisfaction.
From the experience, the moral responsibility I learned is my responsibility to promote truth and justice. I should have told the truth and faced the consequences of my mistakes. I should have become fair and should have been considerate about the welfare of other people, especially Francisco who was innocent but still had faced the embarrassment of being scolded in front of the class.
I never had a chance to talk and apologize to Francisco about what had happened. It still is a mystery to me that he had not solely accused me of my involvement in the “airplane on the cave” controversy. Maybe, he was just really a good person who would not leave a friend behind to experience agony. Maybe, he was just afraid to defend himself because he was out-of-words because we are all obliged to use English as the medium of communication during English Class. Or maybe even worse, it was his airplane that actually put me to shame. No one knows.
Likewise, I never had chance to apologize to Mrs. Gomez. She died three to four years ago because of a heart attack. But despite her death, she will surely remain in my memory because she is made an important part in my personal development. She taught me life’s realities which ultimately led towards having a strong foundation of my own core principles in life. Thank you ma’am, wherever you are.
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