What Is Freedom?

The Daily Haiku for April 2. What is freedom?

Freedom is the space
between who we were and are.
Every drop of air.

There are few words whose definition has been so discussed, and yet continues to be as ambiguous and disputed, as freedom.

It has been used for honorable goals such as give us all equal rights, allow us to conduct our societies in a democratic way, or grant us rights against tyrannical or authoritarian regimes.

It has also been used to justify hate, violence, and aggression. Freedom of speech, freedom to own a gun, freedom to not wear a mask, freedom to educate my children in my beliefs (meaning, without any reference to diversity or racial justice), etc.

The most ironic thing about the concept of freedom is that it is not boundless. My freedom ends where yours begins. And that's alright. It's not the supreme principle to which all others should submit. There are other most important things, such as respect, love, and the common good. And I think it's not that hard to enjoy your freedom while respecting the freedom of others.

Of course, there are many enemies of freedom out there. Still in the XXI century, there are authoritarian governments, dystopian regimes, and fanatic religious societies. Not even democratic countries have found the perfect balance, mostly because we keep on clinging to the concept of nation-estate from the XX century.

But the most dangerous adversary from freedom is selfishness. Thinking that your freedom is superior to others and you have the right to impose it on anybody else.

But enough for today, I will talk more about freedom in future haikus. For now, I hope you have enjoyed this one.