What you lack is the power to do so, which is an entirely different beast to tackle (but far easier). Following that, one can define Freedom as the absence of forces preventing you from doing something you want to do. ERE thus becomes not a quest for financial freedom, but for financial power.

Of course, I imply no disregard to Krantcents in this change of terms, just a precision that I find important.

(By the way, I’ve recently lived in a handful of countries, and I’ve never felt less free, and more restricted by official and cultural laws, as when I lived in the US. I reckon that Americans’ preoccupation with Freedom is partly due to their lack of it… the governing powers of the US, like those of the old USSR, keep their people in check by getting them to believe that they are free and enjoying the best conditions in the world; when you believe that, you don’t actually need the freedom and good conditions.)

A second point (out of many, but I’ll keep it shortish) is that freedom is not always freedom; for instance, I prefer to pay taxes and let government agencies sort out my pension, my medical bills, my kids education, general infrastructure etc. etc. (I’m Danish), and generally enjoy the freedom from choice and hassle involved in managing those parts of my finances. There are many other examples.
In general, freedom usually comes with burden, and freedom from freedom is often a great thing!
Similarly, our countless internal fences are usually healthy; kids have to learn not to run out on the road, eat shit, or hit each other etc.

So are we free? I don’t know. I do know that the consequences that we face for violating the rules of society are often very real, and not just some pre-existing pavlovian conditioning.

I love your thought process and 2nd it and 3rd your concept.

I think it either takes a lot for a person to realise that they are able to make changes in their life as they see fit.

Indoctrination, often lacking independent thought but mostly well-meant, is rampant in everything we do.

It’s often, as you say, the “our fence is mental and not physical” argument that hasn’t entered people’s collective consciousness(es) en masse yet. But it is starting too. Slowly but surely.

I’ve added your RSS feed. Can’t wait to read more

Kim

I figured out over the holidays that I can be “free” on Christmas Eve 2015 (if the fates allow). It’s the best Christmas present I can imagine.

Am I where I want to be in career/family/life goals? Then perhaps financial independence maybe not be so high on the list. What if I’m not where I want to be? Then it might suck, and FI could help with that. What if I can learn to like where I am? Then maybe it won’t be so bad. It’s hard to say when this is a tragic loss of freedom and giving in (a bad thing), and when it is simply accepting things as they are and being content (a good thing).

Clearly this blog is about looking down the blackhole of being a wage slave and saying “NO! Not if I don’t want to!” Thanks again provoking the thoughts.