Over the course of the past dozen or so years I have had the pleasure of rubbing shoulders with some of the more savvy free-market thinkers around. And during much of that time, my own formulative views of the word have tended to ebb and flow as I processed information from a variety of sources, most importantly my own real-life experiences.
One of those free-thinkers who had a big impact on me was Harry Browne. We all suffered a great loss when Harry passed away a few years ago, but his message of how people could obtain personal freedom in an unfree world is as powerful and relevant today as it was when Harry wrote the book on that in 1973.
It is very easy for all of us to become mesmerized by the blitzkrieg of information that seems to constantly invade our minds. It is so overpowering at times that, without proper discipline, one can find himself missing out on the joys of life and dwelling only in darkness. And that is not a healthy way to go through life. Harry understood that – better than most.
The only true commodity of scarcity is time. And the only time that truly matters is yours and mine. Each of us has an expiry date and what we do with our time between the two goal posts should be left to each person to determine in their personal pursuit of self-interest.
Now obviously there are some basic "rules to the road" that determine how people should interact in a functional civil society. Personally, Richard Maybury has done the best job I know of reducing it down to a managable number – two. That's it, two simple natural laws that make it very easy for anyone to discipline himself before taking action. Here they are:
1) Do all you say you are going to do.
2) Do not encroach on other persons or their property.
That's it folks. Two simple and easy to understand "rules" through which any person with an IQ above 50 should be able to navigate their way through life. The first law governs acts of contract and civil engagement, while the second deals with acts of a more criminal nature. But together, both cover the gammut of potentialities that we all face in our daily lives.
Understanding that self-interest and the pusuit of maximizing one's life does not conflict with either of these two natural laws is perhaps the first step in appreciating the power of a truly free society – one in which each person is his or her own master and determines how they wish to spend their time.
Today, for most people caught up in the daily struggle to maintain their heads above water, it is difficult to see how one can actually "break free" from a system that is anything but. And this was no different in 1973 when Harry wrote his bestselling book, How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World.
When we are born, we are born free. As we grow older and are shepparded through public schools and out into the work force, we begin to face the realities of a centralized society – one that continually tries to collectivize people's time under a life-long bond to the State. It is as if there are fields full of gallows with fresh nooses swaying gently in the winds of time awaiting the necks of all the fresh blood entering the workforce. The heads slip in and the serpent-like noose fastens itself – for life. And once a person succumbs to the pressure, they lose their abilty to think. For who has time to think when one's life (time) is constantly being robbed by a collectivist State?
The answer is YOU. You do not have to accept the burdens being levied upon your shoulders by the "time-taxing" power elite and YOU CAN LIVE FREE. To do so is to remember that YOU WERE BORN FREE. It is your right to live free and die free too. Your life is yours to live and as long as the two natural laws mentioned above are respected and adherred to, your right to spend your time as you choose is yours and yours alone. The question you may be asking now is: How do I break free?
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