There are a tremendous number of benefits from living in the United States. Premier among them is our liberty; our freedom. This ideal was a part of our society even before we broke the shackles of the King, and our founders tried to capture the spirit of it in the Declaration and the Constitution.
The Declaration and the Constitution work hand in hand. As someone once pointed out to me, it’s like the Declaration of Independence is the Articles of Incorporation of this land, and the Constitution is the Bylaws. Together they have served this country very well for over 235 years.
The Declaration states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”
The Constitution puts it all in the Preamble. “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”
Of course this freedom is not free – it was bought with a tremendous price. The blood, sweat, and tears of the patriots – and indeed all those who have labored to pass liberty on to future generations – are stark reminders of the price that was, is, and will be paid.
There are many facets to liberty and freedom. Obviously there is the freedom from oppression and tyranny. There are also consequences to choosing to have a free society, including the necessity that each citizen takes responsibility for themselves. Another consequence, so it seems to me, is that the only economic system that works in a free society is capitalism.
That reminds me of something, so please allow me a quick side note. Today there is much discussion around equality and fairness throughout our society. We see it being discussed in everything from scholastic test scores and scholarships, to economics and taxes, to entertainment and recreational activities. Unfortunately, these discussions are focused on only one thing – the results of an individual’s efforts (or perhaps those of a group). If this individual (or group) does not do as well as everyone else, then we must somehow level things out. After all, this would be fair i.e. equal – or so we are led to believe.
The argument is flawed from the outset. In a free society the question is not “What are the results?” The question has to be “What were the opportunities?” Does everyone – whether in a scholastic setting or vocational or recreational – do they all have the same opportunity? That is the key. Then it is up to the individual to determine the outcome, the results. For example, I may not have the skill set to play in the NFL (and I don’t). Did society give me an equal opportunity to pursue a career in the NFL? Yes. I just didn’t have the physical attributes to make it. But do I force the league to handicap everyone to my level of ability? Of course not! That would be ridiculous! Yet that is exactly what is happening in many areas of our society – including scholastic and economic environments. Society doesn’t owe me a thing other than the opportunity. The responsibility lies with me to find what I am good at and pursue it, to determine the results.
Ok, now back to the discussion on liberty. Another consequence of having a free society is the ability of an individual to pursue the wrong things. These may be wrong from a legal perspective, or a market perspective, or a skill set perspective, or any variety of perspectives. Outside of the legal perspective – where society will stop you from doing what you want – we have the total freedom to make choices that are wrong. And since freedom and responsibility are two sides of the same coin, we not only had the freedom to make that choice, we also have to accept the responsibility for making it.
So What?
My point is this: since we live in a free society and can pursue virtually anything we want, what are we pursuing and why? From what I have observed in the lives of those around me, one of the greatest tragedies is for someone to spend years – perhaps their entire life – pursuing something that they ultimately realized just didn’t matter much. I know you have seen it, too. We all know individuals who have trashed their families in pursuit of wealth or fame or something equally unimportant.
Wealth is probably the most seductive goal in a free society. It promises many things: power, prestige, material things. But it can’t provide the things we ultimately hold most dear, like our friends, our families, or our health.
One of the major problems with wealth is that no matter how much we have, we think that we need to close just one more deal or make a little more in order to be ‘successful.’ Never mind that we didn’t stop to think about exactly what ‘successful’ means.
The story is told of a wealthy American businessman who pulled his yacht into a sleepy little harbor on the Mexican coast one afternoon. As he walked off the dock and headed into town he passed a fisherman lying on the grassy hillside overlooking the harbor, getting ready to enjoy a little siesta.
“Pardon me, but you are a fisherman, aren’t you?” inquired the American.
“Si, Senor, I am,” said the fisherman.
“Well, why aren’t you out on the water? Is there something wrong with your boat?”
“No, there is nothing wrong with my boat. There she is on the dock,” as he pointed to a rather modest boat in the harbor. “I have already caught enough fish for the day, and now it is time for my siesta.”
“Well, why don’t you go out and catch more fish?” asked the businessman.
“What would I do with them? I have already supplied my family with food and several of the restaurants in town.”
“Well, you could sell your extra fish to other towns. The extra money would allow you to buy a better boat, which would allow you to catch even more fish. Pretty soon you would have an entire fleet of boats and you would be wealthy just like me.” The businessman was pretty proud of his business skills, and a little perplexed at why the fisherman didn’t seem to grasp the obvious opportunity to expand.
“Hmm. So I could have an entire fleet of boats catching fish and selling them throughout the country. Then what would I do?” asked the fisherman.
“Then you could relax and enjoy life, just like me,” said the businessman.
The fisherman laid back down on the grassy hillside, pulled his hat down over his eyes, and asked “What do you think I am doing now?”
No matter how many times I hear, or tell, that story it always makes me stop and think. What am I pursuing? Why?
There may be legitimate reasons to pursue gaining wealth or acquiring fame. But just to have more wealth or more fame, from what I have observed, is a very empty pursuit.
As I have reflected on my own life, I find that I have often pursued things because others thought I should. Who are these ‘others’? They could be my friends and family, or they could be advertisers with their carefully crafted campaigns. Some of the things I have pursued have been very nice, quality, worthy endeavors – but they were not ultimately what I desired.
I have also found that as I pursued things others thought I should, they complicated my life and pulled my focus away from what was truly important to me. Just as many have had to be vigilant to protect and defend our nation’s liberty, I have to be equally vigilant to protect my own liberty. I find that I often need to simplify my life, and getting rid of the stuff that is not really very important to me is a great way to keep me focused on what is important.
So what about you? Are you pursuing what matters most to you? Or are you pursuing what others have told you is important? How have these tangential pursuits complicated your life? What are you doing to simplify?
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