Freedom

When we feel overwhelmed by life’s expectations, we wish to be free from everything, whether that be family, children, work, responsibilities, or commitments.

We all have moments of wanting to be free.

Once upon a time, those with freedom wedged deep into their bones had the opportunity to get onto a ship and sail out into the wide-open sea in search of new lands, to travel by horseback through uncharted territory, to climb mountains or to resist standards of science and/or literature and seek freedom through intellectual pursuits. There are still romanticised opportunities to be free, and thankfully, those opportunities are now afforded to women and gender-varied. However, those freedom seekers of today have had to find other uncharted pursuits, such as through the world of technology, where the web is now an endless universe open to discovery.

For some of us, our desire for freedom is a little more pastel in colour; some are pretty happy with their life and don’t need endless adventure to feel free. Others consider freedom through more daily considerations, such as having time to meditate or choose their work schedule. All temperaments need and access levels of freedom differently by their unique designs. Of course, if we suppress or are forced to suppress our innate feelings of freedom, then eventually, these desires will erupt like a volcano, travelling to remote places or buying a Ferrari as the commercials tell us to do. That fixes everything.        

Freedom has become attractive and marketable as we seek deregulated and mobile lifestyles. It sells us on the idea of living the good life; it tells us that freedom removes the shackles of pressure and expectations. Finally we are able to live the life we want and have always wanted.

Freedom is associated with words such as independence, autonomy, and self-governance. It is a state of being that is not institutionalised or chained down by people and things telling us what to do and when to do it. Since we are born free, why shouldn’t we be able to maintain this freedom throughout our lived experience?

But are we born free?

Sadly, I must say, we are not born free. We are born into a tight-knit, complex community embedded within an equally complex society. We were never free; we were born into a world of expectation and responsibility. Yes, there will always be that part of us that desires to break these bonds and find the utopia that freedom ascends to. It is a natural part of us because it gives us the courage and the determination to ‘fly the nest’ as a means to populate the human species away from the family that we love. It is why some humans have this sense of freedom more than others, it is a natural part of us as social beings.

Today freedom is often considered something like this: Freedom is the power to live authentically, make choices, and express yourself without fear. 🌱 It’s about embracing your uniqueness, pursuing your dreams, and standing up for what you believe in. True freedom comes from within—it’s the courage to be yourself in a world that often tries to fit you into a mould (as quoted from my new little Instagram up and running, check it out through the link on the front page). Today’s Children and adults are given ideals of freedom that align with this definition. Let’s be honest, schools as institutions hardly fit this description of freedom. It is no wonder that schools are becoming unattractive places for today’s freedom seeker.

Possibly if we can present the ideals of freedom through a different view, there becomes an opportunity to create a sense of understanding of freedom as the power and potential to shape the world around us.

Understanding Freedom through a writer such as Arendt becomes useful for understanding how we can discuss freedom in education.

Hannah Arendt tells us that “Freedom is the ability to act in the world, to begin something new, and to make our voices heard.” For Arendt, true freedom isn’t just about personal rights—it’s about collective action, creating meaning together, and shaping the world around us. It’s in the spaces where we come together, speak out, and make change that we can be truly free.

In summary, Hannah Arendt (1906–1975) was a German-American political theorist, philosopher, and writer whose thoughts on freedom are multifaceted, reflecting her commitment to understanding politics and human action. A few key points that I love about Hannah Arendt’s view on Freedom:

• True freedom, for her, requires relinquishing the idea of control and embracing the unpredictability and plurality of human interaction.
• A political space where freedom thrives must allow for diverse voices, debate, and disagreement.
• Every act of freedom involves a form of new beginning, reflecting the creativity and unpredictability of human action.

Through these ideas of Arendt’s how can you show freedom within your classroom today?

Until next time,

Mon x