You are responsible for what you do with your freedom. Responsibility does not mean you must do or not do anything in particular. It means you are responsible for what you do with your freedom, where it leads, and its consequences.
I call it “the other half of freedom.”
Everyone recognizes the first half of freedom: the right to think, choose, speak, and act for yourself. To lead the life you want, the way you want. To follow your own desires. To set your own priorities. To live by your own standards.
Fewer people are willing to accept the other half of freedom: the right to experience the full impact of how you think, choose, speak, and act. To reap the rewards or suffer the pains of your choices. To earn credibility or face criticism based on the quality of your thoughts and how you express them. To win respect or endure rejection because of your impact on others and what they value.
All freedom has two halves: the choice and the consequence, the action and the impact.
If you want freedom, you must accept both halves. If you accept the first half of freedom, you must accept the other half that comes with it.
Otherwise, it is not freedom at all.
Brick by brick. Do the work.
Share your thoughts