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Oxymoron

As an oxymoron, ‘unfettered freedom equals enslavement’ may not seem obvious at first glance. What we infer is that a lack of personal discipline enslaves.

Discipline

Self-discipline is knowing that a self-imposed boundary works best for our benefit. When we cross boundaries, we often become dissatisfied, have regret, and are still miserable. Also, other people may become involved in any unwise action we take.

Beginnings

It helps to track our development from our simple beginnings, where character forms and also where motivation determines actions; in short, where we first learn self-discipline, or not. The most common mistake made by parents or guardians is to confuse indulgence with love.

Confidence

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When we don’t allow our children to develop confidence, we set them up for failure and possibly condemn them to enslavement. Children develop confidence when we allow them to make mistakes but, also we must teach them to take responsibility for those mistakes. We must not encourage an enslavement to their need to be totally free; free to do as they want, always. Free to behave as reprehensibly as they like where it’s my life, attitude prevails. There is no such thing as total freedom, but this does not stop some from wanting it.

Balance

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There is of course a difference between the delicate balance of allowing children to test the waters, in order to learn what works and what does not, with totally controlling them for their own protection. This control also contributes to the rebellion that some develop, which usually manifests in the teen years, and which leads to harmful behaviour in that quest for unfettered freedom.

Boundaries

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The benefits of limited freedom or setting your own boundaries as in self-discipline, far outweighs limitless freedom, as history clearly shows. There are many examples of leaders who lost their power because they lacked the discipline required to control lust for power. The temptation of unfettered freedom, which total power grants, is often too intoxicating to resist for some.

Healthy Bond

We can trace the modern trend of entitlement to overindulgence by parents and also to over-controlling parents or guardians. The delicate balance between the two requires vigilance and a strong and healthy bond between parent and child. Love does not equal overindulgence, and we must temper discipline with love if we are not to become slaves to freedom.

Lynda Rogle© 

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