I have always felt agitated at the thought of being bound by limits. Being tied down circumstantially made me realize something: I am now doing things that I wouldn’t have done if I were not forced to. I do these things, as the rebel I am, because I have not been given the freedom to choose. This made me wonder—do we, or at least those of us who view humans as independent rather than co-dependent beings, simply crave free will?
As thinkers, our ultimate aim seems to be freedom. Not freedom that comes at the cost of others’ rights, but a freedom where we are unbothered and unburdened by unnecessary interference. Yet, I began to question: why has living within limits become the hallmark of a civil society? Why does society insist that humans need to be trained or tamed? We are told that without rules, society would collapse and human life would spiral into chaos. But is that really true?
Certain experiments, like the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment, suggest that given free will, people can quickly devolve into violent or immoral behavior. These studies show how easily we adapt to roles without much thought. However, I wonder about the validity of these conclusions. The Stanford experiment may have been serious in intent, but how representative was its sample? A small group of people in a controlled environment cannot reflect the complexity of all humanity. Perhaps the setup itself was flawed.
Are humans, then, like animals that require training? Even if that’s the case, can humans truly become “inhuman” under normal conditions? Just as an herbivore doesn’t suddenly become a carnivore overnight, can we say humans would abandon their morals and humanity if left unchecked?If humans aren’t inherently inhuman, why do we need so many rules about how to live? Isn’t it true that people often perform their best when given freedom and no pressure? Or are we saying that humans are fundamentally lazy, incapable of functioning without deadlines?
This brings me to another question: is this why we believe in God? Do we need a higher authority because we are born slaves, or are we trained to feel like slaves? What are we, really? Are we naturally free beings, or are we conditioned to seek control and structure?
These questions challenge the fundamental assumptions about human nature, free will, and societal norms. Are rules a necessity for order, or have we simply accepted them as a crutch because we fear chaos? Does the existence of structure mean we lack the ability to self-govern? And ultimately, does our belief in freedom stem from an innate desire to live authentically, or is it a rebellion against the chains we’ve been conditioned to accept?
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