Be human.

We live in a world which makes it difficult to think, feel and behave on our own.

The mind is numbed by the media, feelings are standardized, freedom of speech is endangered, anarchy is frowned upon and uncommon fantasies are severly repressed. Morals are measured in dollars, the body is considered a burden by the mind, and fellow humans are unreachable starts revoving around the individual.

We need hooks to what makes us human. Hold that feeling, grasp it and stick to it. More reality checks. More alternative views. Mind openers suggesting that Things Could Be Different.

The best hook is a sharp control of one’s position as human. Means provided by:

• a thorough factual knowledge of the world around us (eg. history and geopolitics),
• a longing for diversity (as in “wanting more of it”),
• lots of imagination,
• a high sensitivity,
• some freedom of thought (essentially provided by free time).

These can be improved through the following activities: interacting with other people, sharing feelings and ideas, challenging opinions, reading books, listening to music, watching movies.

On the other hand the following activities tend to decrease freedom and sentitivity dramatically: longing for money, longing for fame, longing for power and control.

Related thought:

Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety. - Benjamin Franklin

Corollary:

Freedom, security, wealth: choose any two.