Freedom of Speech
Daily Meditation #437–5/8/2023
This is not a “political” rant or point we are making.
The freedom to speak forth anything or everything is fundamental to all other freedoms.
If you cannot speak what you need to speak, then you are lying to yourself and presenting yourself in a manner inconsistent with the self.
This is Narcissism!
When you are one person but present yourself as another person to someone else, namely to “keep the peace” or to oblige them, you are acting Narcissistically in order that you can be friends with them or maintain a friendship.
You portray yourself as someone you’re not.
And we all wear small masks here or there! As is acceptable.
But failing to speak your true person forward is the worst sort of lie you can tell.
It erodes you.
It makes you mistrust you.
It fills you with frustrations as you live out a sham.
We need an environment where we have a freedom of speech that we are able to speak forth our true selves comfortably, no matter how “ugly” we believe ourselves to be.
Would you want someone to sweep you off your feet, be great at cooking, wonderfully romantic, tell you how great they are at what they do, and more, then years later find out they hated cooking, were only romantic to court you, and that they secretly kick up their feet all day at work?
Of course not!
They’d’ve been lying to you to impress you. Narcissism.
If we cannot allow others to speak freely, no matter the “hurt” of our feelings and live in a society where we, ourselves, cannot speak freely, either, then we create a kingdom of simmering rage as everyone bumps into one another in emotional darkness, repressing themselves.
So toughen up! Be able to take a little ribbing.
And loosen up! Be willing to act out in the world the person you really are — the people who best understand this version of you will rise as cream to the top. They’re who you want!
Such is the power of a Freedom of Speech.
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These are distillations from my coming book “YouDaimonia: the Ancient Philosophy of Human Flourishing.”
