Freedom and the Paradox of Options

Summary:

How can we live a good life? I think there is meaning in life itself, the things that enrich life to go on. If we choose something without being aware if we want it, we lose our freedom, the freedom to follow what is truly important to our lives. This is the paradox of options; in a world of millions of options, we are easily distracted and opt for an option that we actually do not want. I believe, if we miss a chance, there are always opportunities as long as we live, we don’t need to give up after making mistakes, but we can choose to keep ongoing.

Freedom and the Paradox of Options

Freedom is not only choosing between different options but choosing with the knowledge of what truly matters to oneself. Because many factors influence us in our environment, and because we come up with explanations for our actions but cannot be sure if they are the true reason why we are doing something, I believe we gain more freedom the more we reflect on what we truly want. An inspiring entrepreneur told me once it does not matter if you try something and then fail, but what many people do not think about, it is actually not fulfilling if you are successful with one thing, but you realize you do not like it and you are stuck with it for at least 8 to 10 years (Frei 2017).

If we choose something without being aware if we really want it, we lose our freedom, the freedom to follow what is truly important to us. This is the paradox of options; in a world of millions of options, we are easily distracted and opt for an option that we actually do not want.

What is Meaning?

How Can I Live a Good Life?

What is the meaning of life? I find the question interesting; where does meaning come from? Why do things make sense? Why isn’t everything indifferent? I think certain things do make sense, as they fulfill the purpose of life:

• Humen connection and relationships

• Having children and starting a family

• Contributing positively to the development of society and others

• New discoveries and innovation

• Cooperation with others and altruistic behavior

I think interacting with others and supporting them is a great meaning of life. All of these things help life to go on. For example, an invention or a positive contribution to society can enrich and support others’ lives.

For me personally, I assume that there is meaning in life, and therefore, I also ask the question; how can I live my life?

I believe freedom is the insight into one’s own purpose in life and one’s own values. So, if we know what we really want to do with our life, then it’s easier to resist temptations or distractions and choose not just fun but also a meaningful path. Maybe it is that we listen not enough to our inner compass to follow our own path, but the one that is laid out and more respected by our surroundings, tempting us on a path that seems easier to explain to others. If we were to listen to our compass, we would have to take a longer path, which seems more difficult at first, but is more fulfilling at last. I believe, if we miss a chance, there are always opportunities as long as we live, we don’t need to give up after making mistakes, but we can choose to keep ongoing.

As in the book The Alchemist, we may have to go on a long journey to find our own purpose in life, survive an attack, or encounter some obstacles in order to obtain important information (Coelho and Clarke 2006). One late evening in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, I was robbed on my way home: I was lucky; I only passed out, a cell phone was stolen, and some money I had with me, but otherwise, not really much had happened. Before that, I thought that I wouldn’t care if something happened to me; I was not so happy and living my life as if I was indifferent. But as I saw, my life is important to me, and it could have been over quickly. I was lucky that I got away with no major injuries. They could have had a knife with them. Hence, after that, I reminded myself that I want to enjoy the precious time of life. My time here is only limited; it can really be over at any time. Even if there are things that I don’t really enjoy doing, I can go through them so that I can get to the things that I really want to do.

After the robbery, I wondered what it would be like to die. Is it like passing out? That there is simply nothing left, but you just don’t wake up anymore? Maybe like the night, I was robbed? I don’t know, but I know that I live now and want to try to make my days count by doing something meaningful. Experiences and human connections are what can make us happy and give us meaning. Like in the movie “Into the Wild,” which is based on a true story in which a young man goes into the wilderness to escape the system. At the end of his journal, he writes, “Happiness is only real when shared” (Sean 2007).

The Life Opportunity

As long as we live, we always have options, and we can choose what is closest to our own goals. As Victor Frankl, who experienced some part of his life in a concentration camp from Nazi Germany, wrote: “the last great freedom of mankind is the freedom to choose one’s attitude under any set of external conditions” (Frankl 1977).

Sometimes I used to think that I missed a unique opportunity in my life and will never get such a chance again. More and more, I’m taking the view that life is very generous. Even if I do not take an opportunity, life is offering me, as until now, life was always continuing giving me options. It is the inner perception of the world around us that will determine if we can see these options or if we become blind to new chances because we believe we lost our great opportunity. Because the world around us is an interpretation of our senses and our mind, it is good to take views that use to ignite the motivation to follow our own goals. If we are alive, we can tell ourselves that we have options, even if we do not see them right away. Let’s choose to live a meaningful life as long as we can!

References

Coelho, Paulo; Clarke, Alan R. (2006): The Alchemist. A fable about following your dream. New York, NY: Harper.

Frankl, Viktor (1977): … trotzdem Ja zum Leben sagen. Ein Psychologe erlebt das Konzentrationslager. München: Kösel-Verlag. Available online at http://worldcatlibraries.org/wcpa/oclc/3868433.

Frei, Alan (2017): Entrepreneur and Minimalist. Available online at https://www.alanfrei.com/, updated on 4/26/2020, checked on 4/26/2020.

Sean, Penn (2007): Into the Wild. Edited by Jay Cassidy. Available online at https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Into_the_Wild_(film)&oldid=981986929, updated on 10/5/2020, checked on 11/16/2020.