On Freedom

First, the story:

Once upon a time, in a circus, there was an elephant who longed to be free. The only thing preventing his freedom was a fragile little chain tied to his leg, yet he never escaped.

The End.

The circus elephant — so strong, so powerful, weighing 6 tons and capable of uprooting a tree — cannot free himself from the small chain to which he is tied. He cannot escape because he has been tied up since he was very, very small. At that time, he tried with all his might but could not. Since then, he believes it is impossible.

Like the elephant, freedom is immersed in rules and conditions. Knowing that the concept of freedom is very ambiguous, let's begin by defining it in the words of Pico della Mirandola, which, according to Goñi Zubieta, is divided into three principles:

The Principle of Indeterminacy Man has infinite possibilities of existence.

The Principle of Free Choice Man has the capacity to freely choose among the possibilities that he and the world present to him.

The Principle of Creative Character Man, due to his capacity for free choice, creates himself and determines the development of his own destiny. He himself is capable of achieving all the possibilities that favor his divine seed. In Pico's philosophy, man should aspire to the highest things because divinity has made him worthy of it.

Each person is responsible for their decisions — which means they are apparently free as long as they make their own choices. However, it overlooks the fact that, like the elephant, we too have a chain. We are coerced from a very young age with rules of behavior, manners, respect, and so on, which condition the concept of freedom, placing a chain to which we become accustomed. Freedom becomes so unnecessary that even acting within the rules, we feel free.

So, is freedom condemned to the limits of man? We exercise our freedom to make choices, but always within limits to which we no longer pay attention.

On this topic, there are thousands of viewpoints:

• "Everything for the people, but without the people" — the quintessential idea of enlightened despotism.
• "Freedom does not consist in doing what one wants, but in doing what one ought to do" — Ramón de Campoamor.
• "I loudly proclaim freedom of thought, and death to him who does not think like me" — Voltaire.

Thousands of philosophers, thinkers, and writers have reflected on this subject, and almost all have reached the same conclusion: complete freedom does not exist. We are always guided by something.

Although, in my opinion, this doesn't mean it's bad — on the contrary, it means that the chain that binds us is longer and more ornate.