The Freedom of Community

Freedom is an illusion as long as you don’t have balance between the individual and the community. We most often think of freedom as an individualistic pursuit where our individuality is allowed to go unconstrained by the communities we live in. The community — from the macro to the micro — is a limiting factor on the self. Yet without the community the self is an isolated point with no consequence. For some, this may be enough, but I doubt it. For most, the need to be a part of a community where they can also be “free” is the utopian ideal.

I am working to find and broaden my community. I’ve spent many years now discovering and working to strengthen my most micro-community: my immediate family. This is the community that is most important to me and the one that I will always prioritize. That has been a lesson that took a long time to truly learn. But in order to be better for that community, I also need to find other communities to be a part of.

My Point

The modern ability to choose our own communities (something recent in human cultural evolution) is possibly our most amazing achievement as a species.

That is true freedom.