Exercising mental and intellectual freedom is blissful. Unlike other animals human beings have the psychological capacity to think and develop reason. Although other animals’ instincts only concern them with survival in terms of securing water, food, shelter, and protection from predators to feel content humans have a more sophisticated mind, which has the tools to elevate one’s level of living. If one does not consciously screen what thoughts are allowed or rejected from entering one’s mind then other external sources such as the media and marketers will infiltrate and occupy the personal mind. Thus, it is of utmost importance to question one’s own thoughts, desires, and fears. First, are they your own or did society create them for you? Mental liberty is defined one way as freedom from the very fears and desires one experiences through the act of living. No matter how well one might try to navigate through life to avoid pain, hardship, loss, disappointment, rejection, humiliation, and even death one is better off to cultivate mental freedom and calm in the face of these external challenges than to have the elements imprison and torture one.
Living closely with freedom enables greater clarity on determining what is in one’s control and what is not. For instance, capitalism commodified beauty, which has cultivated the wrong attitudes and perceptions about beauty. It is difficult to learn and define what beauty is when market and societal norms have corrupted the intrinsic worth of authentic inner beauty. Consumerism and money with respect to the beauty industry has arguably changed the character of what is beauty. Rather than valuing one owns image and the appearance of others as well many people succomb to the mercy of commerical industries by either participating or perpetuating the idea of beauty for sale either through use of cosmetics and other beauty products or in extreme cases surgical “enhancements” or alterations. Freeing oneself from what is thought and considered usual is key, or rather thinking for oneself independently from outside influence is fundamental.
Also, humans may strive to reach an ethical philosophy by which to enhance their way of living whilst knowing that perfection or the ideal is elusive given we are inherently flawed. The point, however, is to try. Despite falling short of the golden standards of ethical living whether due to complex scenarios, over rationalizing in order to arrive at the egotistic conclusion, or because we find loopholes by which to slip and justify other behavior, we must still attempt to realign our character constantly for not only our own sake but for the sake of the common good.
//E.G.//
againstmodernconsciousness 