242 years (and a day) ago, a group of European immigrants told a sack of bureaucratic elitists to piss off.
242 years later, U.S. institutions would be overrun with bureaucratic elitists, but let's be romantic about that moment in 1776. The United States declared themselves free from interference with their right to life (two faced as it may have been, considering the later issues of slavery and indentured servitude). Cynicism aside, the myth of freedom from tyrants is one that strikes a chord.
I like the way that Gojira(a French metal band) talks about freedom:
We're in this alone, we bow to no one
Carved by the waves, our sacred temple
Sing the praises of no flag, we set the tone
This is no fiction, we've come to an end now
Our conviction untouched, we build a life straight
Intelligence of heart as only guidance
When you're trapped, how is freedom acquired? How is independence achieved? Three things come to my mind:
- Persistent action in the right direction
- Overcoming the fear of uncertainty
- Creativity
First of all, achieving independence is hard work.
There are forces working against you. These are set in motion by those who would exploit your weakness, break your spirit, and force you into compliance. While the necessary means used to involve brute force (and still do in some places), the currently preferred methods were engineered to control your desires. Want that stamp of approval? That house? That truck? That president? That education? Fall in line and it's all yours. You're free to pick the means through which you surrender your freedom.
Personally, I see nothing wrong with wanting any of this. Things get muddied when we believe that the only way to achieve anything is to have our wishes granted by someone in charge - whether it's a boss or a politician.
The road to freedom (including the acquisition of security-granting possessions or status) is difficult because it is paved with uncertainty. It's very easy to fall from this path after traveling it for a short distance. You are no longer protected by your nanny, whether it is the state or your employer. There's no guarantee of pay or benefits - at least, not initially. That uncertainty is also possibility for the future.
Jonathan Fields wrote a great book on the power of uncertainty as "fuel for brilliance". In it, he states
"When you begin, nothing is certain save the drive to create something worth the effort...anything certain has already been done."
That brings me to the next point...
If you want independence, you'll also have to confront this fear of uncertainty.
In our dependent state, we rely on our oppressors to provide certainty; looming overhead is also the promise of punishment if we refuse to obey orders. If you want to break free, don't be stupid, but don't make your decisions out of fear. If you are careful you can move past the fear of punishment by generating your own success.
I'm working to implement these principles, but I'm not there yet. I'm trying to blog blogging consistently, and I'm studying for my CompTIA Security+ certification (because I'm genuinely interested in the topics), but I still have a ways to go to confront my own fear. When planning my family's future, I frequently get tunnel vision around my "future job" as a construction worker. Instead, I could be focusing on the process of freeing myself through self-education and skill mastery - even if construction is a part of my picture in the future.
I don't mean to imply that having a job is bad. I've learned many valuable lessons working, whether it was for Starbucks or on a power plant. It becomes a problem when you are tethered via chains of command; when your own compass points in whatever direction your master's does, and that association with him is not voluntary, you're not free.
Acquiring skills and excelling in work environments is actually a good way to gain negotiating power. But ultimately, I'm trying to create wealth, not find it.
Creation is an unstable act of summoning definition within darkness.
As Jordan Peterson notes, conservative personalities depend on definition and limitation to define their action. They take what has already been established and perfect the movement that occurs within its boundaries - taking over a startup to cut costs, increase efficiency, and refine the signature product. The act of creation, however, depends on the dissolution of boundaries to generate a new idea - which must, at some point, become defined. We break the rules to create, because the rules are limitations, and creation defies limitation. The same rules apply whether you're painting a picture, writing a song, or founding a new nation.
In this dark and uncertain space, we can't simply follow commands. The commands must originate from our own intelligence and not the agenda of another. There are no explicit directions. You can't take orders to get to where you're going, but you can learn from others about the creative process.
Ah, if only we had given up in the face of uncertainty and refused to create a new path forward...
Where would we be?