Saturday, April 18, 2009

Unpopular freedoms can have social consequences

Unpopular freedoms can have social consequences

Actions have social consequences. "Drugs", sex, "profanity"... whatever. The reasons may be total nonsense, but you still need to be aware. Acting like the consequences are not there won't help you any.

While you have a right to do anything to your own body that you want, including killing yourself, you have to realize that people who do not honor your rights have established a system to punish you for exercising them in ways they disapprove of.

You have a right to put any substance into your body for any reason. But in doing so you take a risk of ostracism at the hands of a culture that wants to find an excuse to punish you. You are giving them a handy one. I'm not saying it isn't worth the risk for you; I'm just saying whatever you do, do with awareness.

Profanity, which is really a ridiculous concept ("magical bad words"?), can keep you from having the career you want, or can keep you from succeeding like you otherwise should. You have an absolute right to use any words you want, but are you taking the consequences into account?

Your sex life can be used as a tool to ridicule or punish you. The people doing so may just be jealous of your free-spiritedness, or may have religious reasons behind their treatment of you. Their reasons may be utterly wrong in any of these cases, since consenting, responsible people have a right to do whatever they wish, but the real-world repercussions are just as damaging.

Live free, but remember that "the majority" hates your freedom; and the worst manifestation of "society", government, will gladly kill you to protect you from yourself, and to protect your neighbors from your influence.