Essays on Freedom

80
Essays on reedom FOUNDATION LOGOSOPHICAL

Transcript of Essays on Freedom

Page 1: Essays on Freedom

Essays on

reedom

FOUNDATION

LOGOSOPHICAL

Page 2: Essays on Freedom

Essays on

reedom

Page 3: Essays on Freedom

Essays on

reedom

Page 4: Essays on Freedom

st1 Edition

2011

Belo Horizonte

Essays on

reedom

FOUNDATION

LOGOSOPHICAL

A collection of articles

written by young Logosophy

students from different

cities in Brazil

Page 5: Essays on Freedom

st1 Edition

2011

Belo Horizonte

Essays on

reedom

FOUNDATION

LOGOSOPHICAL

A collection of articles

written by young Logosophy

students from different

cities in Brazil

Page 6: Essays on Freedom

This book is especially intended for you,

young reader, in a stage in life in which

you face several options that will

determine your future, mainly in regard to

your moral and spiritual condition.

We hope that you will read it with an

active mind and an open heart, to

extract from each testimony

reflections that will make you think about

life in a deeper way, and thus awaken

your interest towards new knowledge.

Happy reading!

323.4

72 p. ISBN: 978-85-60232-01-7

Essays on Freedom: a collection of articles written by young Logosophy students from different cities in Brazil

st.1 ed. Logosophical Foundation, Youth DivisionBelo Horizonte. Translated by Gaston Levy – a Logosophy student

1-Freedom. 2. Logosophy. 3.Title

Page 7: Essays on Freedom

This book is especially intended for you,

young reader, in a stage in life in which

you face several options that will

determine your future, mainly in regard to

your moral and spiritual condition.

We hope that you will read it with an

active mind and an open heart, to

extract from each testimony

reflections that will make you think about

life in a deeper way, and thus awaken

your interest towards new knowledge.

Happy reading!

323.4

72 p. ISBN: 978-85-60232-01-7

Essays on Freedom: a collection of articles written by young Logosophy students from different cities in Brazil

st.1 ed. Logosophical Foundation, Youth DivisionBelo Horizonte. Translated by Gaston Levy – a Logosophy student

1-Freedom. 2. Logosophy. 3.Title

Page 8: Essays on Freedom

1. Daniel Vieira Braga dos Santos – São Paulo/SP

2.Alan Caldas Simões – Guarapari/ES

3. ?Alex Caldas Simões – Guarapari/ES

4.Ana Luiza Severino Rossi de Oliveira – Belo Horizonte/MG

5. ?Fábio Weikert Bicalho – Belo Horizonte/MG

6. ?Isabela Ferreira – Florianópolis/SC

7.Jakson Guedes – Joaçaba/SC

8.Lara Abdo – Florianópolis/SC

9.

Lilian Marques Nagem – Belo Horizonte/MG

10.

11. Mariana Linhares Araújo – Belo Horizonte/MG

Freedom and its essential concept

Breaking chains

Like sheep, they follow. Will I follow too

Am I a prisoner of my soccer team's campaign?

Who is afraid of freedom

What did school teach me

Freedom, even though delayed

Who should I obey?

Fear of making mistakes – An obstacle to

young people's perspectives

All of us are free. Are we really?

To be a teacher – with affection

Vanessa Mendonça Soares – Rio de Janeiro/RJ

Index

13

16

18

20

23

27

29

31

Introduction 9

33

36

38

Page 9: Essays on Freedom

1. Daniel Vieira Braga dos Santos – São Paulo/SP

2.Alan Caldas Simões – Guarapari/ES

3. ?Alex Caldas Simões – Guarapari/ES

4.Ana Luiza Severino Rossi de Oliveira – Belo Horizonte/MG

5. ?Fábio Weikert Bicalho – Belo Horizonte/MG

6. ?Isabela Ferreira – Florianópolis/SC

7.Jakson Guedes – Joaçaba/SC

8.Lara Abdo – Florianópolis/SC

9.

Lilian Marques Nagem – Belo Horizonte/MG

10.

11. Mariana Linhares Araújo – Belo Horizonte/MG

Freedom and its essential concept

Breaking chains

Like sheep, they follow. Will I follow too

Am I a prisoner of my soccer team's campaign?

Who is afraid of freedom

What did school teach me

Freedom, even though delayed

Who should I obey?

Fear of making mistakes – An obstacle to

young people's perspectives

All of us are free. Are we really?

To be a teacher – with affection

Vanessa Mendonça Soares – Rio de Janeiro/RJ

Index

13

16

18

20

23

27

29

31

Introduction 9

33

36

38

Page 10: Essays on Freedom

12. ?Mateus Fernandes Araújo – Curitiba/PR

13.Maurílio Roriz Dias – São Paulo/SP

14.Morgana Brun – Florianópolis/SC

15.Nicolas César Franco – Belo Horizonte/MG

16.Paulo Henrique de Franco Alcântara – Brasília/DF

17.Pedro Henrique de Andrade Corrêa – Brasília/DF

18.Priscila Chiavelli Pacheco – São Paulo/SP

19.Samira Nagem Lima – Belo Horizonte/MG

20.Shenara Pantaleão Ramadan – Curitiba/PR

21.Talita Franco – Uberlândia/MG

22.Tatiana Maaze Janovitz – São Paulo/SP

23. FFernanda Rezende Mendonça – Goiânia/GO

Do you say “I don't understand”

Reaping the benefits

Inner freedom

Freedom and fashion trends

The triangle

Tackling obstacles

The real modern woman

Freedom – how many choices have you made so far?

Is your behavior a reflection of what you see on TV?

To be one's own boss

A masquerade ball

reedom to be free

41

43

46

49

51

54

56

59

62

64

67

70

As a subject that has been discussed for

thousands of years within the human,

economical and political circles, freedom was

selected as the topic for study amongst the

young students of Logosophy throughout the

country due to its importance in this phase of

their lives. Some of the results of this study are

published in this book. You are now invited to

share our trials and discoveries that allow us to

feel much freer internally today.

Nothing limits freedom more than one's own

ignorance. Knowledge, therefore, is the great

element that must bestow upon us the deeply

felt need for freedom. It should be noted that we

are referring here to a different type of

knowledge, one that allows us to know ourselves

and our fellowmen, while learning to position

ourselves in the world as active and conscious

elements.

Based on the logosophical conception, the

study addresses the function of the mind, of the

sensitivity and of the instinct – elements that

Introduction

Page 11: Essays on Freedom

12. ?Mateus Fernandes Araújo – Curitiba/PR

13.Maurílio Roriz Dias – São Paulo/SP

14.Morgana Brun – Florianópolis/SC

15.Nicolas César Franco – Belo Horizonte/MG

16.Paulo Henrique de Franco Alcântara – Brasília/DF

17.Pedro Henrique de Andrade Corrêa – Brasília/DF

18.Priscila Chiavelli Pacheco – São Paulo/SP

19.Samira Nagem Lima – Belo Horizonte/MG

20.Shenara Pantaleão Ramadan – Curitiba/PR

21.Talita Franco – Uberlândia/MG

22.Tatiana Maaze Janovitz – São Paulo/SP

23. FFernanda Rezende Mendonça – Goiânia/GO

Do you say “I don't understand”

Reaping the benefits

Inner freedom

Freedom and fashion trends

The triangle

Tackling obstacles

The real modern woman

Freedom – how many choices have you made so far?

Is your behavior a reflection of what you see on TV?

To be one's own boss

A masquerade ball

reedom to be free

41

43

46

49

51

54

56

59

62

64

67

70

As a subject that has been discussed for

thousands of years within the human,

economical and political circles, freedom was

selected as the topic for study amongst the

young students of Logosophy throughout the

country due to its importance in this phase of

their lives. Some of the results of this study are

published in this book. You are now invited to

share our trials and discoveries that allow us to

feel much freer internally today.

Nothing limits freedom more than one's own

ignorance. Knowledge, therefore, is the great

element that must bestow upon us the deeply

felt need for freedom. It should be noted that we

are referring here to a different type of

knowledge, one that allows us to know ourselves

and our fellowmen, while learning to position

ourselves in the world as active and conscious

elements.

Based on the logosophical conception, the

study addresses the function of the mind, of the

sensitivity and of the instinct – elements that

Introduction

Page 12: Essays on Freedom

constitute the human psychology and determine

our way of being and our behavior. Also, one of

the themes investigated was the mental world, or

better said, the world of ideas and thoughts, both

of which are expressed in the environments we

live in. This study unveils the power of the

thoughts – psychic entities that, still unknown to

the great majority, have a powerful influence

over the individual´s life and in many cases over

his destiny, without him being in the least aware

of what occurs within him.

Essays on Freedom presents through various

points of view, a number of episodes from

young people´s lives. It describes the struggle of

several individuals against the implacable power

that the thoughts exert over our life, showing

that it is possible to get to know and dominate

them, by selecting those that allow us to

experience true freedom: the freedom that

emerges from within.

Paulo Cezar Tomás Salles

teacher at the Logosophical Foundation

Essays on

reedom

Page 13: Essays on Freedom

constitute the human psychology and determine

our way of being and our behavior. Also, one of

the themes investigated was the mental world, or

better said, the world of ideas and thoughts, both

of which are expressed in the environments we

live in. This study unveils the power of the

thoughts – psychic entities that, still unknown to

the great majority, have a powerful influence

over the individual´s life and in many cases over

his destiny, without him being in the least aware

of what occurs within him.

Essays on Freedom presents through various

points of view, a number of episodes from

young people´s lives. It describes the struggle of

several individuals against the implacable power

that the thoughts exert over our life, showing

that it is possible to get to know and dominate

them, by selecting those that allow us to

experience true freedom: the freedom that

emerges from within.

Paulo Cezar Tomás Salles

teacher at the Logosophical Foundation

Essays on

reedom

Page 14: Essays on Freedom

Freedom… The concept that each person is able to form of it

defines the way one understands it and lives by it. Based on the

concept that being free is not being behind bars, we can say that

in the world x millions are in prison and y millions are free. We

can think of the total i tar ian regimes and say

therefore…Thinking of those who are not economically self-

supporting, we can affirm that…. And yet, I wonder whether

these conditions do in fact define freedom in its essential

meaning, or could it be that the individual who lives under a

totalitarian regime or who is behind bars may experience more

freedom than you or I? As I understand it there is a reality,

which is far more proven than any statistical data already

published and that reveals the true and sure path to broadening

the freedom of those who are seriously determined to acquire

it. The reality to which I am referring is that of the inner world,

which each individual possesses; the reality of his mind and of

his thoughts.

I have observed that an inaccurate concept of freedom is the

major factor for the lack of ability to master one's life: to some,

freedom is not having any commitments, letting things happen

as they may, and not having a schedule or clear objectives. Why

13

Daniel Vieira Braga dos Santos – São Paulo/SP

reedom and its essential concept

Essays on Freedom

Page 15: Essays on Freedom

Freedom… The concept that each person is able to form of it

defines the way one understands it and lives by it. Based on the

concept that being free is not being behind bars, we can say that

in the world x millions are in prison and y millions are free. We

can think of the total i tar ian regimes and say

therefore…Thinking of those who are not economically self-

supporting, we can affirm that…. And yet, I wonder whether

these conditions do in fact define freedom in its essential

meaning, or could it be that the individual who lives under a

totalitarian regime or who is behind bars may experience more

freedom than you or I? As I understand it there is a reality,

which is far more proven than any statistical data already

published and that reveals the true and sure path to broadening

the freedom of those who are seriously determined to acquire

it. The reality to which I am referring is that of the inner world,

which each individual possesses; the reality of his mind and of

his thoughts.

I have observed that an inaccurate concept of freedom is the

major factor for the lack of ability to master one's life: to some,

freedom is not having any commitments, letting things happen

as they may, and not having a schedule or clear objectives. Why

13

Daniel Vieira Braga dos Santos – São Paulo/SP

reedom and its essential concept

Essays on Freedom

Page 16: Essays on Freedom

do we repel the sense of order when seeking freedom? This is

due to our misunderstanding of the scheduled activities we

perform every day, which we undertake by necessity rather

than by recognizing their worth. In essence, this reflects our

lack of understanding about what we should do with our lives.

For example, if I do my work only to comply with the demands

of the company, and I notice there is no connection of my will

with my activities, an inner turmoil makes me want to get away.

On the other hand,

when we have free time, these same thoughts encourage us to

do nothing, because our will won't move unless it is under

pressure. How many times have we heard “When I have time,

I will give more attention to my family; when I have time, I will

finish the final project for college; how I wish I had time to do

this or that…”? And when time is available, we do other things,

we get distracted, or do nothing.

And so, long periods of time are spent doing things that are not

connected to our inner self, followed by periods of doing

nothing, and life ends up being sterilized in a monotonous

repetition, in which we act like puppets driven by the thoughts

inhabiting our own mind.

I struggle fiercely to change this reality, advancing firmly

towards controlling my time and the processes that integrate

my life. By doing so, I have realized that, above all, I have to

face myself, and come to know and get in touch with my own

Quite often, the activity we undertake has a connection

with what we want for our life, but the thoughts we harbor

in our mind don´t allow us to notice it.

reality, seeking a continuous self-betterment since I can obtain

discipline and direction in using my time but still continue to be

managed by thoughts. For instance: during my childhood and

adolescence, I was a model student at school. I was never

behind with my homework and distributed my time quite

appropriately. I focused on the lessons in the classroom and

studied them as soon as I got home. I did it in an impressive

consistent way. This was an excellent endeavor that brought

me great benefits. However, the cause was not a formed

conviction on the importance of studying. The dominant

thoughts in these circumstances were: get rid of the obligation

to be able to indulge in the things I liked most and be the first in

my class in order to satisfy my vanity.

Therefore, I repeat, since I have proven it often, that we need

to dig deep until we discover the causes of our actions and then

change them through the free determination of our own

intelligence. Only then, will we stop being led like meek sheep

by the series of thoughts that dominate our life and prevent us

from doing and being what we want the most.

What happened to me

happens to many people in the world who, although

displaying an apparent freedom, find themselves as much

imprisoned, or more, as those who don´t have this same

understanding or ability to put their activities in order.

1514 Essays on Freedom

Page 17: Essays on Freedom

do we repel the sense of order when seeking freedom? This is

due to our misunderstanding of the scheduled activities we

perform every day, which we undertake by necessity rather

than by recognizing their worth. In essence, this reflects our

lack of understanding about what we should do with our lives.

For example, if I do my work only to comply with the demands

of the company, and I notice there is no connection of my will

with my activities, an inner turmoil makes me want to get away.

On the other hand,

when we have free time, these same thoughts encourage us to

do nothing, because our will won't move unless it is under

pressure. How many times have we heard “When I have time,

I will give more attention to my family; when I have time, I will

finish the final project for college; how I wish I had time to do

this or that…”? And when time is available, we do other things,

we get distracted, or do nothing.

And so, long periods of time are spent doing things that are not

connected to our inner self, followed by periods of doing

nothing, and life ends up being sterilized in a monotonous

repetition, in which we act like puppets driven by the thoughts

inhabiting our own mind.

I struggle fiercely to change this reality, advancing firmly

towards controlling my time and the processes that integrate

my life. By doing so, I have realized that, above all, I have to

face myself, and come to know and get in touch with my own

Quite often, the activity we undertake has a connection

with what we want for our life, but the thoughts we harbor

in our mind don´t allow us to notice it.

reality, seeking a continuous self-betterment since I can obtain

discipline and direction in using my time but still continue to be

managed by thoughts. For instance: during my childhood and

adolescence, I was a model student at school. I was never

behind with my homework and distributed my time quite

appropriately. I focused on the lessons in the classroom and

studied them as soon as I got home. I did it in an impressive

consistent way. This was an excellent endeavor that brought

me great benefits. However, the cause was not a formed

conviction on the importance of studying. The dominant

thoughts in these circumstances were: get rid of the obligation

to be able to indulge in the things I liked most and be the first in

my class in order to satisfy my vanity.

Therefore, I repeat, since I have proven it often, that we need

to dig deep until we discover the causes of our actions and then

change them through the free determination of our own

intelligence. Only then, will we stop being led like meek sheep

by the series of thoughts that dominate our life and prevent us

from doing and being what we want the most.

What happened to me

happens to many people in the world who, although

displaying an apparent freedom, find themselves as much

imprisoned, or more, as those who don´t have this same

understanding or ability to put their activities in order.

1514 Essays on Freedom

Page 18: Essays on Freedom

Since I was very young, I imagined that when I grew up and

was economically stable, I would be free to move and do

whatever I wanted. I would not need my parents' permission

to travel since I'd have enough money to pay for my expenses.

I would therefore be free and independent! And yet, many

times, to attend to the clamor of my will, I needed something

beyond that…

Quite often, I did have the time, the opportunity and the desire

to express my appreciation or admiration toward a friend or a

relative, but my shyness blocked me from doing so. At times, I

wanted to study a bit harder and dedicate myself to the

university or to work, but my lack of will power and laziness

stopped me. At other times, I tried to be friendly and pleasant

with my classmates and co-workers, but I was unable to do so as

my impatience, intolerance and abruptness prevented me

from doing so.

These and other situations in which I was unable to respect my

will and exercise my freedom as I wish led me to the following

question: “Am I free to do what I wish or do I obey what bossy

thoughts order me to do?”

Alan Caldas Simões – Guarapari/ES

16

One day, I noticed a large ship anchored in the harbor. It was

so huge that next to it I was only a small dot on the ground. A

ship that size could sail on any and every ocean. As I observed it

more closely, I saw a huge chain that tied it to the pier. And so,

in order for the ship to be able to move, it was necessary to

remove the chains, otherwise its movements would always be

restricted.

On many occasions, I felt just like this gigantic ship, full of

potential but anchored to the dock and limited by tyrant

thoughts that chained my mind and limited my freedom. Such

thoughts are of a negative nature and can be called

psychological deficiencies, which in spite of exercising strong

pressure over my will can be eliminated through the

logosophical method of individual self-betterment.

Self-knowledge and the knowledge of the thoughts are

essential to acquire freedom, which does not entail simply

to come and go, but rather to conquer the emancipation of

one's mind, leading us to experience life in a totally new

and happier way.

17

Breaking chains

Essays on Freedom

Page 19: Essays on Freedom

Since I was very young, I imagined that when I grew up and

was economically stable, I would be free to move and do

whatever I wanted. I would not need my parents' permission

to travel since I'd have enough money to pay for my expenses.

I would therefore be free and independent! And yet, many

times, to attend to the clamor of my will, I needed something

beyond that…

Quite often, I did have the time, the opportunity and the desire

to express my appreciation or admiration toward a friend or a

relative, but my shyness blocked me from doing so. At times, I

wanted to study a bit harder and dedicate myself to the

university or to work, but my lack of will power and laziness

stopped me. At other times, I tried to be friendly and pleasant

with my classmates and co-workers, but I was unable to do so as

my impatience, intolerance and abruptness prevented me

from doing so.

These and other situations in which I was unable to respect my

will and exercise my freedom as I wish led me to the following

question: “Am I free to do what I wish or do I obey what bossy

thoughts order me to do?”

Alan Caldas Simões – Guarapari/ES

16

One day, I noticed a large ship anchored in the harbor. It was

so huge that next to it I was only a small dot on the ground. A

ship that size could sail on any and every ocean. As I observed it

more closely, I saw a huge chain that tied it to the pier. And so,

in order for the ship to be able to move, it was necessary to

remove the chains, otherwise its movements would always be

restricted.

On many occasions, I felt just like this gigantic ship, full of

potential but anchored to the dock and limited by tyrant

thoughts that chained my mind and limited my freedom. Such

thoughts are of a negative nature and can be called

psychological deficiencies, which in spite of exercising strong

pressure over my will can be eliminated through the

logosophical method of individual self-betterment.

Self-knowledge and the knowledge of the thoughts are

essential to acquire freedom, which does not entail simply

to come and go, but rather to conquer the emancipation of

one's mind, leading us to experience life in a totally new

and happier way.

17

Breaking chains

Essays on Freedom

Page 20: Essays on Freedom

Everything began sometime ago. I didn't know what was

happening but the ambiance of the places I usually frequented

didn't satisfy me anymore. You know what it's like when you

feel out of place or you have nothing to talk about in places that

seemed very cool before?

At that time, I lived with a group of friends on a small campus in

the countryside of Minas Gerais. We were all young and were

studying. It was quite hard to learn how to live with people who

were so different from me, but the most difficult task was to

make my own life choices, as I could not depend on my

parents' assistance anymore. This situation frightened me a

little and made me think about the responsibility I have to

conduct my life towards a higher objective.

On weekends, everyone in the house always went out to party.

It was fun, for some time anyway. After a while, I began to

notice that most of the places I went to brought no joy. Some

friends celebrated drinking time as a crowning event, as if the

most important thing of youth was to live in a state of

euphoria. But…if that kind of atmosphere didn´t make me

happy, why did I go? What was it that made me hop from one

Alex Caldas Simões – Guarapari/ES

18

place to the other without having control over my own life?

Later, I noticed that what was guiding my life were not my

thoughts but the thoughts of others.

I began, therefore, to be more attentive. I was once invited to

go somewhere I disliked, even though I had been there

several times. I said that I couldn´t go because I had to study. I

felt a little sad, not knowing why. Then it dawned on me that I

felt disloyal to myself. I said that I had to study when in fact I

didn't have to – I had made up an excuse so they would leave

me alone.

After a while, the same thing happened and I remembered

how bad I had felt.

At night I went to sleep with a different sensation. I felt cheerful

although no one had told me a joke. This was a new sensation.

It felt so good to defend my values! I discovered that when I

make a choice in my daily life, my conscience says “yes”.

My friends were going to parties without knowing what took

them there. From that day onward, I began to go to places

knowing the reason why I went. I think this is the feeling we get

when we begin to think for ourselves: if everyone else follows

like sheep, I only follow myself.

I gathered my courage and said to my

friend: “Thank you but I am not going because I dislike

that environment.” To my surprise, he said that he disliked

it too but that he went because everybody did.

19

Like sheep, they follow. Will I follow too?

Essays on Freedom

Page 21: Essays on Freedom

Everything began sometime ago. I didn't know what was

happening but the ambiance of the places I usually frequented

didn't satisfy me anymore. You know what it's like when you

feel out of place or you have nothing to talk about in places that

seemed very cool before?

At that time, I lived with a group of friends on a small campus in

the countryside of Minas Gerais. We were all young and were

studying. It was quite hard to learn how to live with people who

were so different from me, but the most difficult task was to

make my own life choices, as I could not depend on my

parents' assistance anymore. This situation frightened me a

little and made me think about the responsibility I have to

conduct my life towards a higher objective.

On weekends, everyone in the house always went out to party.

It was fun, for some time anyway. After a while, I began to

notice that most of the places I went to brought no joy. Some

friends celebrated drinking time as a crowning event, as if the

most important thing of youth was to live in a state of

euphoria. But…if that kind of atmosphere didn´t make me

happy, why did I go? What was it that made me hop from one

Alex Caldas Simões – Guarapari/ES

18

place to the other without having control over my own life?

Later, I noticed that what was guiding my life were not my

thoughts but the thoughts of others.

I began, therefore, to be more attentive. I was once invited to

go somewhere I disliked, even though I had been there

several times. I said that I couldn´t go because I had to study. I

felt a little sad, not knowing why. Then it dawned on me that I

felt disloyal to myself. I said that I had to study when in fact I

didn't have to – I had made up an excuse so they would leave

me alone.

After a while, the same thing happened and I remembered

how bad I had felt.

At night I went to sleep with a different sensation. I felt cheerful

although no one had told me a joke. This was a new sensation.

It felt so good to defend my values! I discovered that when I

make a choice in my daily life, my conscience says “yes”.

My friends were going to parties without knowing what took

them there. From that day onward, I began to go to places

knowing the reason why I went. I think this is the feeling we get

when we begin to think for ourselves: if everyone else follows

like sheep, I only follow myself.

I gathered my courage and said to my

friend: “Thank you but I am not going because I dislike

that environment.” To my surprise, he said that he disliked

it too but that he went because everybody did.

19

Like sheep, they follow. Will I follow too?

Essays on Freedom

Page 22: Essays on Freedom

We all know someone who is a fan of a band, a celebrity or a

soccer team. It is quite common that this sensation, felt

wholeheartedly, emerges as an unconditional passion often

influenced since childhood by the father, the grandfather or the

uncle. This fan's mood changes according to the performance

of his team. If his team wins, he is happy and enthusiastic while

mocking others who root for another team. However, if his

team loses, there begins his torment; he does not accept to be

made the laughing stock and becomes irritated and sad.

I used to be stuck in this reality. Something, however, bothered

me a lot.

One day, my friends and I decided to get together in a

restaurant to catch up. Everything was going well, we were

joking and laughing a lot until a friend of one of the girls arrived

and sat down with us.

But what was the problem? What was wrong? I discovered that

he was a fan of a team rival to mine. We soon began talking

about soccer, each defending his team and ridiculing the other

team. Our tone of voice began to rise as each one wanted to

Ana Luiza Severino Rossi de Oliveira – Belo Horizonte/MG

impose his opinion on the other, thus creating a negative

atmosphere around the table.

After a while, one of the girls said: “That's enough. Let's end this

discussion.” Her friend immediately stood up and left the table.

My mind was in a whirlwind and, at the same time, I felt upset

for what had occurred. I wanted to hide under the table.

Moments later, with a more serene mind I began

contemplating my own attitude, within my inner world, trying to

identify the cause of feeling so uneasy in such situations. It had

not been the first time that I behaved that way. After all, since

many people act this way I believed it to be a normal attitude.

This thought belongs to a negative mental

force that utilizes the minds with similar thoughts in order to

gain strength and act out. The greater the number of minds that

it can take over, the faster it will expand.

This thought was so dominant in me that many people

identified me with my team and only wanted to talk about

soccer with me. As a result, I missed many opportunities to get

to know people better, to express my way of thinking and to

generate pleasant discussions that would allow me to bond with

them through other positive thoughts.

Having clearly noticed the damage I was inflicting on myself

made me happy. As I now discovered the cause of so many

I identified something important within me: the existence

of a thought that deprives me of the freedom to feel and

think– fanaticism.

2120

Am I a prisoner of my soccer team's campaign?

Essays on Freedom

Page 23: Essays on Freedom

We all know someone who is a fan of a band, a celebrity or a

soccer team. It is quite common that this sensation, felt

wholeheartedly, emerges as an unconditional passion often

influenced since childhood by the father, the grandfather or the

uncle. This fan's mood changes according to the performance

of his team. If his team wins, he is happy and enthusiastic while

mocking others who root for another team. However, if his

team loses, there begins his torment; he does not accept to be

made the laughing stock and becomes irritated and sad.

I used to be stuck in this reality. Something, however, bothered

me a lot.

One day, my friends and I decided to get together in a

restaurant to catch up. Everything was going well, we were

joking and laughing a lot until a friend of one of the girls arrived

and sat down with us.

But what was the problem? What was wrong? I discovered that

he was a fan of a team rival to mine. We soon began talking

about soccer, each defending his team and ridiculing the other

team. Our tone of voice began to rise as each one wanted to

Ana Luiza Severino Rossi de Oliveira – Belo Horizonte/MG

impose his opinion on the other, thus creating a negative

atmosphere around the table.

After a while, one of the girls said: “That's enough. Let's end this

discussion.” Her friend immediately stood up and left the table.

My mind was in a whirlwind and, at the same time, I felt upset

for what had occurred. I wanted to hide under the table.

Moments later, with a more serene mind I began

contemplating my own attitude, within my inner world, trying to

identify the cause of feeling so uneasy in such situations. It had

not been the first time that I behaved that way. After all, since

many people act this way I believed it to be a normal attitude.

This thought belongs to a negative mental

force that utilizes the minds with similar thoughts in order to

gain strength and act out. The greater the number of minds that

it can take over, the faster it will expand.

This thought was so dominant in me that many people

identified me with my team and only wanted to talk about

soccer with me. As a result, I missed many opportunities to get

to know people better, to express my way of thinking and to

generate pleasant discussions that would allow me to bond with

them through other positive thoughts.

Having clearly noticed the damage I was inflicting on myself

made me happy. As I now discovered the cause of so many

I identified something important within me: the existence

of a thought that deprives me of the freedom to feel and

think– fanaticism.

2120

Am I a prisoner of my soccer team's campaign?

Essays on Freedom

Page 24: Essays on Freedom

unhappy moments, I perceived the possibility of changing this

characteristic. From that day onwards, I started to intensify my

studies on self-knowledge and to analyze my experiences

scientifically. I was now able to fight this psychological

shortcoming by creating and strengthening positive thoughts,

which helped me in my daily struggles, such as: affability,

restraint and self- confidence. I practiced them in my new way

of thinking, talking and acting.

There was no need to give up rooting for my team. I learned

that I must train this thought in order to overcome it, and not

allow the opposite to occur.

— Please sit down. I have bad news for you.—

— My God! What is it, doctor?

— I just went through your tests and…

— And what, doctor? Please tell me!

— I am sorry to say that you suffer from eleuterophobia.

— Eleutero…what?

— Eleuterophobia. In other words, you are afraid of freedom.

— Afraid of freedom? Are you sure doctor? And what should I

do about it?

***

Even though it may seem somewhat unlikely – at least regarding

the way it was presented – the scene in which the patient hears a

diagnosis of fear of freedom is not impossible. Although this

sounds absurd – maybe because it is in fact absurd – it is not

uncommon to meet people who are afraid of being free. Quite

often, such situations occur with us due to the fear of freedom.

To my surprise, I identified in me the fear of being free. Is it

possible to fear, even unconsciously, something regarded by

Fábio Weikert Bicalho – Belo Horizonte /MG

2322

Who is afraid of freedom?

Essays on Freedom

Page 25: Essays on Freedom

unhappy moments, I perceived the possibility of changing this

characteristic. From that day onwards, I started to intensify my

studies on self-knowledge and to analyze my experiences

scientifically. I was now able to fight this psychological

shortcoming by creating and strengthening positive thoughts,

which helped me in my daily struggles, such as: affability,

restraint and self- confidence. I practiced them in my new way

of thinking, talking and acting.

There was no need to give up rooting for my team. I learned

that I must train this thought in order to overcome it, and not

allow the opposite to occur.

— Please sit down. I have bad news for you.—

— My God! What is it, doctor?

— I just went through your tests and…

— And what, doctor? Please tell me!

— I am sorry to say that you suffer from eleuterophobia.

— Eleutero…what?

— Eleuterophobia. In other words, you are afraid of freedom.

— Afraid of freedom? Are you sure doctor? And what should I

do about it?

***

Even though it may seem somewhat unlikely – at least regarding

the way it was presented – the scene in which the patient hears a

diagnosis of fear of freedom is not impossible. Although this

sounds absurd – maybe because it is in fact absurd – it is not

uncommon to meet people who are afraid of being free. Quite

often, such situations occur with us due to the fear of freedom.

To my surprise, I identified in me the fear of being free. Is it

possible to fear, even unconsciously, something regarded by

Fábio Weikert Bicalho – Belo Horizonte /MG

2322

Who is afraid of freedom?

Essays on Freedom

Page 26: Essays on Freedom

all as good and desirable? Would it not be more reasonable to

detect within oneself the fear of heights or of being in closed

quarters, of flying cockroaches or maybe fear of the legendary

Boogeyman?

The first of these causes is related to the fact that freedom

continues to be, by and large, an unknown reality. It is

important to clarify, at this point, that we are not referring here

to the freedom of an act within the law or the freedom related

to political, economical or legal aspects. We are referring to the

inner scope of this concept, that is, the freedom of thinking and

making decisions, which bestow upon our life a moral and

spiritual value.

The second cause highlights the different meanings and forms

of fear of freedom: fear of duties, of failure, of other peoples'

opinions, of change of habits, of regrets, and of new challenges.

As the great Irish playwright Bernard Shaw once stated:

“freedom means responsibility. And this is why so many

people fear it.” In other words, freedom constitutes a power

and, as such, it demands that one be prepared to use it. One

must admit that, for the same reason, there are those who have

great interest in maintaining others behind the bars of

ignorance and fear.

I signed my own eleuterophobia certificate, when, during my

adolescence and youth, I found myself constantly faced with

Could there actually be reasons to fear

freedom? I came to understand that such a reality does

exist and, in order to overcome it, one must first find out

why it exists.

the fear of saying “no”, which was an expression of fear of

freedom. During most of my life, I accepted willingly a lot of

what was proposed to me. This way, I did not have to struggle to

make decisions and I would not run the risk of offending

anyone. I sought in others the convictions I lacked, yet, many

times at the expense of going against my own way of thinking

and feeling.

Furthermore, at the

same time as I bestowed upon others the responsibility of a

possible failure, I also credited them with the merits of possible

triumphs during my learning stages.

No doubt it is easier to walk along the only path available no

matter how obscure or sinuous it may be. Nevertheless, what

would be the excuse for the individual to avoid exercising one's

capability of thinking and making decisions intelligently?

Would the waters of a river interrupt their flow when faced with

a fork on their course? Would a bird refuse to leave its nest for

fear of heights or of the hunger of predators?

It is precisely in the young person's life that the path to follow

splits into multiple and determining crossroads. These

choices do not only relate to the one we want to marry or to the

career we want to follow. Many of the possibilities young

people face imply, not necessarily in a clear manner, the

option between the transitory and the permanent, between

what is superfluous and what is essential to one's existence. In

The fear of saying “no” to others implied, in many cases,

saying “no” to my values, to my feelings and to everything

that I held as most noble within me.

2524 Essays on Freedom

Page 27: Essays on Freedom

all as good and desirable? Would it not be more reasonable to

detect within oneself the fear of heights or of being in closed

quarters, of flying cockroaches or maybe fear of the legendary

Boogeyman?

The first of these causes is related to the fact that freedom

continues to be, by and large, an unknown reality. It is

important to clarify, at this point, that we are not referring here

to the freedom of an act within the law or the freedom related

to political, economical or legal aspects. We are referring to the

inner scope of this concept, that is, the freedom of thinking and

making decisions, which bestow upon our life a moral and

spiritual value.

The second cause highlights the different meanings and forms

of fear of freedom: fear of duties, of failure, of other peoples'

opinions, of change of habits, of regrets, and of new challenges.

As the great Irish playwright Bernard Shaw once stated:

“freedom means responsibility. And this is why so many

people fear it.” In other words, freedom constitutes a power

and, as such, it demands that one be prepared to use it. One

must admit that, for the same reason, there are those who have

great interest in maintaining others behind the bars of

ignorance and fear.

I signed my own eleuterophobia certificate, when, during my

adolescence and youth, I found myself constantly faced with

Could there actually be reasons to fear

freedom? I came to understand that such a reality does

exist and, in order to overcome it, one must first find out

why it exists.

the fear of saying “no”, which was an expression of fear of

freedom. During most of my life, I accepted willingly a lot of

what was proposed to me. This way, I did not have to struggle to

make decisions and I would not run the risk of offending

anyone. I sought in others the convictions I lacked, yet, many

times at the expense of going against my own way of thinking

and feeling.

Furthermore, at the

same time as I bestowed upon others the responsibility of a

possible failure, I also credited them with the merits of possible

triumphs during my learning stages.

No doubt it is easier to walk along the only path available no

matter how obscure or sinuous it may be. Nevertheless, what

would be the excuse for the individual to avoid exercising one's

capability of thinking and making decisions intelligently?

Would the waters of a river interrupt their flow when faced with

a fork on their course? Would a bird refuse to leave its nest for

fear of heights or of the hunger of predators?

It is precisely in the young person's life that the path to follow

splits into multiple and determining crossroads. These

choices do not only relate to the one we want to marry or to the

career we want to follow. Many of the possibilities young

people face imply, not necessarily in a clear manner, the

option between the transitory and the permanent, between

what is superfluous and what is essential to one's existence. In

The fear of saying “no” to others implied, in many cases,

saying “no” to my values, to my feelings and to everything

that I held as most noble within me.

2524 Essays on Freedom

Page 28: Essays on Freedom

all these situations, it is necessary to be free to think, and from

there choose the most favorable path leading to the

achievement of the life one wants to build. It is precisely to this

freedom that Logosophy bestows the highest hierarchy.

Nevertheless, so as to yield to the greatest benefits, it must be

sustained by self-knowledge and by the resources that one

possesses in order to make the journey and reach the

objective that one wishes to reach and that can be expressed in

synthesis in the pointed dialogue between the Cheshire Cat

and young Alice, one of Lewis Carroll's characters – “If you

don't know where you are going, any path will take you there.”

At this point, the reader must be wondering what the outcome

was of the meeting between the psychiatrist and the

eleuterophobic patient. We don´t deem it relevant to get

back to the dialogue. Returning to the doctor's office would

mean to grant someone else the prerogatives of diagnosing

one's inner reality and identifying the possibilities of self-

betterment that it entails.

Let's allow our protagonist to experience the benefits a free

person can enjoy, and develop, like I do, the desire that in

the near future, the glimpse of freedom may prevent

awakening the fear. For now, at the most, accept the

stimulating feeling of a few butterflies in his stomach.

Most people have good memories of their time in school. And

yet when they are asked what concept or value marked their

journey through life, what will their answer be?

After a brief analysis of the current educational system used in

the elementary, secondary and college levels, one can notice

mostly the exclusive study of basic concepts pertaining to each

discipline. The student learns the alphabet, then the

polynomials and even the division of the human cell. But are

these subjects sufficient to form free human beings, capable of

creating their own thoughts, ideas, opinions, and become

masters of their own will?

We can observe that many children and young people of our

day and age have as their primary objective to obtain a passing

grade in the final exams in order to move on to the next level

the following school year. Once there, the same objective

repeats itself during the secondary period and sometimes even

all the way to college. Unfortunately, once this process is over,

human beings suffer a gradual paralysis of one part of their

mind responsible for the function of studying, since the

motivation for learning used in school stopped there.

Isabela Ferreira − Florianópolis/SC

2726

What did school teach me?

Essays on Freedom

Page 29: Essays on Freedom

all these situations, it is necessary to be free to think, and from

there choose the most favorable path leading to the

achievement of the life one wants to build. It is precisely to this

freedom that Logosophy bestows the highest hierarchy.

Nevertheless, so as to yield to the greatest benefits, it must be

sustained by self-knowledge and by the resources that one

possesses in order to make the journey and reach the

objective that one wishes to reach and that can be expressed in

synthesis in the pointed dialogue between the Cheshire Cat

and young Alice, one of Lewis Carroll's characters – “If you

don't know where you are going, any path will take you there.”

At this point, the reader must be wondering what the outcome

was of the meeting between the psychiatrist and the

eleuterophobic patient. We don´t deem it relevant to get

back to the dialogue. Returning to the doctor's office would

mean to grant someone else the prerogatives of diagnosing

one's inner reality and identifying the possibilities of self-

betterment that it entails.

Let's allow our protagonist to experience the benefits a free

person can enjoy, and develop, like I do, the desire that in

the near future, the glimpse of freedom may prevent

awakening the fear. For now, at the most, accept the

stimulating feeling of a few butterflies in his stomach.

Most people have good memories of their time in school. And

yet when they are asked what concept or value marked their

journey through life, what will their answer be?

After a brief analysis of the current educational system used in

the elementary, secondary and college levels, one can notice

mostly the exclusive study of basic concepts pertaining to each

discipline. The student learns the alphabet, then the

polynomials and even the division of the human cell. But are

these subjects sufficient to form free human beings, capable of

creating their own thoughts, ideas, opinions, and become

masters of their own will?

We can observe that many children and young people of our

day and age have as their primary objective to obtain a passing

grade in the final exams in order to move on to the next level

the following school year. Once there, the same objective

repeats itself during the secondary period and sometimes even

all the way to college. Unfortunately, once this process is over,

human beings suffer a gradual paralysis of one part of their

mind responsible for the function of studying, since the

motivation for learning used in school stopped there.

Isabela Ferreira − Florianópolis/SC

2726

What did school teach me?

Essays on Freedom

Page 30: Essays on Freedom

We found that on many occasions an adult does not utilize

all the potential of the faculties of his intelligence such as

reasoning, thinking and judging. This adult has limited

freedom to think and is stuck to the habit of studying in a

mnemonic modality, in which only the faculty of memory is

activated. This individual has been used to studying for short-

term objectives.

It should be said that the education of children and adolescents

must be based upon concepts that strengthen their minds and

create in them defenses to help face the struggles of adult life.

Some of the topics that could be included are: the value of

one's effort, the importance of friendship and its development,

and the need for affection in human relationships. What kind

of adults will they turn out to be when raised within these

concepts? Will they know how to defend themselves against

the fears inculcated in them by extremist ideologies and

illusions of all types? Will this increase their freedom?

In this scenario, there is a true and useful need to include these

values in the educational program of children and adolescents.

These concepts will stimulate the usage of all the faculties of

their intelligence, contributing towards the shaping of freer

individuals, psychologically empowered. And only then, when

asked the question of this article, will many be able to respond:

“Yes, at school I was introduced to a new concept that has

marked my journey through life.”

Since man first inhabited this world, freedom has been the

human condition most sought after. But where is true

freedom, since man continues his quest?

Everyone seeks freedom for one's own life. What kind of life

do they visualize with the freedom they seek? Do they relate it

to the economical, social, family or individual drawbacks that

are common to any human being?

What currently most imprisons man and especially young

people is the lack of will power, particularly regarding the act of

thinking. The key to true freedom resides precisely in man's

mind, where the process of self-knowledge begins. It is not only

a question of freedom of opinion – true freedom is freedom of

thinking without the influence of beliefs, prejudices or other

people's opinions.

One day, as I was walking down the street, I began to observe

the places around me. Passing by a bakery, I smelled the aroma

of freshly baked bread. I imagined how crunchy it would be

and in a fraction of a second this thought was already lodged in

my mind. I resisted the thought and continued to walk. Later

Jakson Guedes − Joaçaba/SC

2928

reedom, even though delayed

Essays on Freedom

Page 31: Essays on Freedom

We found that on many occasions an adult does not utilize

all the potential of the faculties of his intelligence such as

reasoning, thinking and judging. This adult has limited

freedom to think and is stuck to the habit of studying in a

mnemonic modality, in which only the faculty of memory is

activated. This individual has been used to studying for short-

term objectives.

It should be said that the education of children and adolescents

must be based upon concepts that strengthen their minds and

create in them defenses to help face the struggles of adult life.

Some of the topics that could be included are: the value of

one's effort, the importance of friendship and its development,

and the need for affection in human relationships. What kind

of adults will they turn out to be when raised within these

concepts? Will they know how to defend themselves against

the fears inculcated in them by extremist ideologies and

illusions of all types? Will this increase their freedom?

In this scenario, there is a true and useful need to include these

values in the educational program of children and adolescents.

These concepts will stimulate the usage of all the faculties of

their intelligence, contributing towards the shaping of freer

individuals, psychologically empowered. And only then, when

asked the question of this article, will many be able to respond:

“Yes, at school I was introduced to a new concept that has

marked my journey through life.”

Since man first inhabited this world, freedom has been the

human condition most sought after. But where is true

freedom, since man continues his quest?

Everyone seeks freedom for one's own life. What kind of life

do they visualize with the freedom they seek? Do they relate it

to the economical, social, family or individual drawbacks that

are common to any human being?

What currently most imprisons man and especially young

people is the lack of will power, particularly regarding the act of

thinking. The key to true freedom resides precisely in man's

mind, where the process of self-knowledge begins. It is not only

a question of freedom of opinion – true freedom is freedom of

thinking without the influence of beliefs, prejudices or other

people's opinions.

One day, as I was walking down the street, I began to observe

the places around me. Passing by a bakery, I smelled the aroma

of freshly baked bread. I imagined how crunchy it would be

and in a fraction of a second this thought was already lodged in

my mind. I resisted the thought and continued to walk. Later

Jakson Guedes − Joaçaba/SC

2928

reedom, even though delayed

Essays on Freedom

Page 32: Essays on Freedom

on, I saw a store that sold everything from pens to kitchen

appliances. I didn't need anything but I flirted with the thought

of buying, which was very agile, seductive and as powerful as

the first one. When I reached my original destination, the

market, I purchased what I had intended to get and returned

home feeling freer than ever, as I had not succumbed to any of

the thoughts that were extraneous to my will.

Understanding how the thoughts act makes it possible to

gradually reach the conquest of true freedom. There will be no

more engrained beliefs or prejudices, nor suggestive opinions

that make man follow the masses and lose his individuality. As

he learns how to guide his steps according to his own will, man

will no longer need to imagine Eden since he will be able to

build his own real paradise, where his mind, now free, will

become conscious of everything it does and of everything that

moves within it.

Freedom, man! Even though delayed.

Could I have found what man had been seeking for

centuries and centuries? Could it be that what he has

searched for so long in others was actually inside his own

self? Could I have found true freedom?

When I was younger, to me obedience was doing what my

parents asked me to do. As I was growing up and observed

what happened around me, I realized that I had to be obedient

not only at home but in many other places and situations. For

example: to wait for my turn to be seated in a restaurant, to stop

at a red traffic light or to get to my appointments on time.

One day, I wondered what would happen if I didn´t obey the

rules in similar situations. I then realized that such rules exist

for my own good and that when I follow them, it benefits me

and others as well.

During my adolescent years, I spent one year abroad, and that's

when I had my first important experience with freedom. My

parents, who had until then guided me about what I could and

could not do, were thousands of miles away and could not be

called upon at every step I took. I was forced therefore to make

my own choices and set the limits to my freedom.

As I experienced events in my life, I noticed that I didn´t act

any differently than I would if my parents had been

present. Based on the results of my decisions, I came to

understand why my parents' guidance was truly the best.

Lara Abdo − Florianópolis/SC

3130

Who should I obey?

Essays on Freedom

Page 33: Essays on Freedom

on, I saw a store that sold everything from pens to kitchen

appliances. I didn't need anything but I flirted with the thought

of buying, which was very agile, seductive and as powerful as

the first one. When I reached my original destination, the

market, I purchased what I had intended to get and returned

home feeling freer than ever, as I had not succumbed to any of

the thoughts that were extraneous to my will.

Understanding how the thoughts act makes it possible to

gradually reach the conquest of true freedom. There will be no

more engrained beliefs or prejudices, nor suggestive opinions

that make man follow the masses and lose his individuality. As

he learns how to guide his steps according to his own will, man

will no longer need to imagine Eden since he will be able to

build his own real paradise, where his mind, now free, will

become conscious of everything it does and of everything that

moves within it.

Freedom, man! Even though delayed.

Could I have found what man had been seeking for

centuries and centuries? Could it be that what he has

searched for so long in others was actually inside his own

self? Could I have found true freedom?

When I was younger, to me obedience was doing what my

parents asked me to do. As I was growing up and observed

what happened around me, I realized that I had to be obedient

not only at home but in many other places and situations. For

example: to wait for my turn to be seated in a restaurant, to stop

at a red traffic light or to get to my appointments on time.

One day, I wondered what would happen if I didn´t obey the

rules in similar situations. I then realized that such rules exist

for my own good and that when I follow them, it benefits me

and others as well.

During my adolescent years, I spent one year abroad, and that's

when I had my first important experience with freedom. My

parents, who had until then guided me about what I could and

could not do, were thousands of miles away and could not be

called upon at every step I took. I was forced therefore to make

my own choices and set the limits to my freedom.

As I experienced events in my life, I noticed that I didn´t act

any differently than I would if my parents had been

present. Based on the results of my decisions, I came to

understand why my parents' guidance was truly the best.

Lara Abdo − Florianópolis/SC

3130

Who should I obey?

Essays on Freedom

Page 34: Essays on Freedom

When I simply obeyed in a passive way, I did not think, and for

this reason I had difficulty in obeying.

I first have to obey myself,

that is, obey the will that is dictated by my thinking and feeling.

Since then I feel freer. To obey myself does not

prevent me from obeying other people or circumstances. It is

simply an invitation to experience the same situations in a

conscious manner. The possibility of thinking, reflecting and

reasoning when facing situations is an opportunity that has

contributed to expand my own freedom – and my life.

As soon as I began to

reflect upon what I really thought and felt about the

situations, I started to perceive what was truly correct and

to whom I owed my obedience.

Some may think that it is determined by God, others believe

that it is simply a social convention. But, regardless of the

concept that each person has of MISTAKES, the fact is that the

great majority does not like making mistakes and even fears it.

What are the consequences of the fear of making mistakes in

the life of young people who are trying to build their future?

A youngster, who moves out of childhood and with time begins

to acquire more control, empowerment, and responsibility in

regard to his future, is constantly concerned about making the

right decisions in order to reach his goals. However, as there

are so many new situations demanding specific knowledge,

which he does not possess, two sensations emerge: insecurity

regarding how to act and the fear of making mistakes.

It is natural for the teenager to feel insecure and uncomfortable

in the process of building his confidence, which must be based

on the experience he will acquire. The problem is that when

insecurity is transformed into fear of making mistakes, it can

Lílian Marques Nagem – Belo Horizonte/MG

3332

ear of making mistakes –An obstacle to

young people's perspectives

Essays on Freedom

Page 35: Essays on Freedom

When I simply obeyed in a passive way, I did not think, and for

this reason I had difficulty in obeying.

I first have to obey myself,

that is, obey the will that is dictated by my thinking and feeling.

Since then I feel freer. To obey myself does not

prevent me from obeying other people or circumstances. It is

simply an invitation to experience the same situations in a

conscious manner. The possibility of thinking, reflecting and

reasoning when facing situations is an opportunity that has

contributed to expand my own freedom – and my life.

As soon as I began to

reflect upon what I really thought and felt about the

situations, I started to perceive what was truly correct and

to whom I owed my obedience.

Some may think that it is determined by God, others believe

that it is simply a social convention. But, regardless of the

concept that each person has of MISTAKES, the fact is that the

great majority does not like making mistakes and even fears it.

What are the consequences of the fear of making mistakes in

the life of young people who are trying to build their future?

A youngster, who moves out of childhood and with time begins

to acquire more control, empowerment, and responsibility in

regard to his future, is constantly concerned about making the

right decisions in order to reach his goals. However, as there

are so many new situations demanding specific knowledge,

which he does not possess, two sensations emerge: insecurity

regarding how to act and the fear of making mistakes.

It is natural for the teenager to feel insecure and uncomfortable

in the process of building his confidence, which must be based

on the experience he will acquire. The problem is that when

insecurity is transformed into fear of making mistakes, it can

Lílian Marques Nagem – Belo Horizonte/MG

3332

ear of making mistakes –An obstacle to

young people's perspectives

Essays on Freedom

Page 36: Essays on Freedom

entail severe consequences in the young person's life, limiting

his freedom to act, and even to think.

A closer look shows that this fear

can even prevent the young person from undertaking new

projects and building great plans, because he already anticipates

that they will be interrupted by the “inevitable” error.

Another consequence of this fear is the tendency to follow

what others have done or what others think, instead of trusting

one's own intelligence and choosing the path one deems to be

the best. It is quite common for young people to let go of

choices they believe are right -- and could be excellent for their

life,-- in order to follow a “common path” for fear of going

wrong by doing things differently.

We know only too well the importance of the advice and

observations given by elders or others. But we also know that

the process of analyzing an advice or using other peoples'

experience in order to make a decision must be made

consciously and be based on the individual's reflection and

understanding, and not on the fear of making a mistake, or on

laziness to think for oneself.

No one in his right mind would make a mistake or would be

wrong on purpose. Nor would anyone make a mistake and

For instance, if a mistake, which was the final result of a

great effort, is regarded as failure, then the adolescent loses

energies and believes it means he is incapable of reaching

his goals. In this case, the mistake becomes a limiting factor

and nullifies his objective to do more, to achieve more and

to conquer greater things.

remain indifferent to it. But certainly there is a more intelligent

and freer manner to deal with mistakes.

For Logosophy, the error resides in one's mind and is the result

of the lack of knowledge or of consciousness concerning the

elements that intervene in each situation. Considering that no

human being possesses all the knowledge that exists in

Creation, would it not be logical to consider error as a natural

thing and even as something necessary to our lives? Quite

often, through the analysis of an error, we discover exactly what

was missing to make something right.

Hence, from the moment the young person wants to reach a

new reality, as for example to acquire aptitudes and cognitions

that he does not possess yet, it is logical to think that a process

through which he will learn and develop the skills he lacks is

necessary. In doing so, he will know that in this path errors will

be the natural consequence of this new attempt. This is why it

becomes necessary to turn the fear of making mistakes into the

joy of fighting, into the courage to know one's own reality and

by one's efforts achieve what each conquest demands.

To be free to make mistakes, to be free to correct them and to

be free to learn from these mistakes is a right that we all have.

Nevertheless, each one is responsible for constructing this right

successfully within oneself.

Making mistakes is part of life and is, naturally part of the

path that we have to cover to reach our objectives.

3534 Essays on Freedom

Page 37: Essays on Freedom

entail severe consequences in the young person's life, limiting

his freedom to act, and even to think.

A closer look shows that this fear

can even prevent the young person from undertaking new

projects and building great plans, because he already anticipates

that they will be interrupted by the “inevitable” error.

Another consequence of this fear is the tendency to follow

what others have done or what others think, instead of trusting

one's own intelligence and choosing the path one deems to be

the best. It is quite common for young people to let go of

choices they believe are right -- and could be excellent for their

life,-- in order to follow a “common path” for fear of going

wrong by doing things differently.

We know only too well the importance of the advice and

observations given by elders or others. But we also know that

the process of analyzing an advice or using other peoples'

experience in order to make a decision must be made

consciously and be based on the individual's reflection and

understanding, and not on the fear of making a mistake, or on

laziness to think for oneself.

No one in his right mind would make a mistake or would be

wrong on purpose. Nor would anyone make a mistake and

For instance, if a mistake, which was the final result of a

great effort, is regarded as failure, then the adolescent loses

energies and believes it means he is incapable of reaching

his goals. In this case, the mistake becomes a limiting factor

and nullifies his objective to do more, to achieve more and

to conquer greater things.

remain indifferent to it. But certainly there is a more intelligent

and freer manner to deal with mistakes.

For Logosophy, the error resides in one's mind and is the result

of the lack of knowledge or of consciousness concerning the

elements that intervene in each situation. Considering that no

human being possesses all the knowledge that exists in

Creation, would it not be logical to consider error as a natural

thing and even as something necessary to our lives? Quite

often, through the analysis of an error, we discover exactly what

was missing to make something right.

Hence, from the moment the young person wants to reach a

new reality, as for example to acquire aptitudes and cognitions

that he does not possess yet, it is logical to think that a process

through which he will learn and develop the skills he lacks is

necessary. In doing so, he will know that in this path errors will

be the natural consequence of this new attempt. This is why it

becomes necessary to turn the fear of making mistakes into the

joy of fighting, into the courage to know one's own reality and

by one's efforts achieve what each conquest demands.

To be free to make mistakes, to be free to correct them and to

be free to learn from these mistakes is a right that we all have.

Nevertheless, each one is responsible for constructing this right

successfully within oneself.

Making mistakes is part of life and is, naturally part of the

path that we have to cover to reach our objectives.

3534 Essays on Freedom

Page 38: Essays on Freedom

If I am free, why do I in certain situations do the exact opposite

of what I wanted to do? I never feel free in these occasions.

How can this be possible? How can I be free if, in many cases, I

don't control my mind? Wouldn't it be the same as if I gave my

car for someone else to drive and expected him or her to take

me wherever I wished?

One day, I was in an overcrowded subway station, trapped in a

long line to buy tickets. More people started to arrive after me

and stood in line. The guy behind me, impatient with the

slowness of the only employee on duty, began complaining and

grumbling. At a certain point he burst out: “It is absurd to have

only one employee working during rush hour. And even

worse, an inexperienced one…..” My first impulse was to turn

around and agree with his indignation, when something

stopped me. Before the thought that impelled me to agree with

him could be expressed, another thought emerged in my mind

and presented some logical reflections: “All right, it is not ideal

to have only one employee during rush hour…but what will

change if you empower the thought expressed by the person

behind you? Could another employee appear by work of

Vanessa Mendonça Soares – Rio de Janeiro/RJ

magic? Would the line move faster? No! Don't you agree?

Then it is better to refrain from saying anything. The only thing

you would achieve would be to get other people to also voice

their indignation, and then there would be a riot. The solution

to this problem requires other initiatives.”

And so I waited patiently for my turn. It did not take more than

three minutes, and I was on my way.

This simple experience taught me that we cannot be free until

we get control of our thoughts, until we command them and

not the other way round.

This is the true freedom: to think for oneself. This is what

moves us to make the choices we need or want. I used to think

that freedom was to do whatever came to my mind at any given

moment. Seeing a hole, I could for example, choose between

jumping over it or falling into it. Today I understand that true

freedom is to jump over the hole because I know that if I fall

into it I can hurt myself. The person who does not know that

the hole exists cannot decide whether to jump over it or not,

better said, he does not have the freedom to choose. The one

who has the knowledge is able to make the choice.

By knowing how the thoughts act

and training our mind to identify and select them, we create

our mental defenses, which are fundamental to form

convictions based on our own analysis, instead of being led,

without thinking, by the thoughts and the opinions of others.

3736

All of us are free. Are we really?

Essays on Freedom

Page 39: Essays on Freedom

If I am free, why do I in certain situations do the exact opposite

of what I wanted to do? I never feel free in these occasions.

How can this be possible? How can I be free if, in many cases, I

don't control my mind? Wouldn't it be the same as if I gave my

car for someone else to drive and expected him or her to take

me wherever I wished?

One day, I was in an overcrowded subway station, trapped in a

long line to buy tickets. More people started to arrive after me

and stood in line. The guy behind me, impatient with the

slowness of the only employee on duty, began complaining and

grumbling. At a certain point he burst out: “It is absurd to have

only one employee working during rush hour. And even

worse, an inexperienced one…..” My first impulse was to turn

around and agree with his indignation, when something

stopped me. Before the thought that impelled me to agree with

him could be expressed, another thought emerged in my mind

and presented some logical reflections: “All right, it is not ideal

to have only one employee during rush hour…but what will

change if you empower the thought expressed by the person

behind you? Could another employee appear by work of

Vanessa Mendonça Soares – Rio de Janeiro/RJ

magic? Would the line move faster? No! Don't you agree?

Then it is better to refrain from saying anything. The only thing

you would achieve would be to get other people to also voice

their indignation, and then there would be a riot. The solution

to this problem requires other initiatives.”

And so I waited patiently for my turn. It did not take more than

three minutes, and I was on my way.

This simple experience taught me that we cannot be free until

we get control of our thoughts, until we command them and

not the other way round.

This is the true freedom: to think for oneself. This is what

moves us to make the choices we need or want. I used to think

that freedom was to do whatever came to my mind at any given

moment. Seeing a hole, I could for example, choose between

jumping over it or falling into it. Today I understand that true

freedom is to jump over the hole because I know that if I fall

into it I can hurt myself. The person who does not know that

the hole exists cannot decide whether to jump over it or not,

better said, he does not have the freedom to choose. The one

who has the knowledge is able to make the choice.

By knowing how the thoughts act

and training our mind to identify and select them, we create

our mental defenses, which are fundamental to form

convictions based on our own analysis, instead of being led,

without thinking, by the thoughts and the opinions of others.

3736

All of us are free. Are we really?

Essays on Freedom

Page 40: Essays on Freedom

What do you want to be when you grow up? What will be your

profession? I heard these questions over and over again during

my childhood. My career choice, which was filled with doubts

and uncertainties, was always on my mind.

When I was a little girl, I answered that I wanted to be a teacher,

perhaps because of the joy I felt teaching my dolls, or because of

my mother´s example since she herself was a teacher.

For a time, this choice remained firm and present but as I came

into adolescence, submerged in a universe of many influences,

the criticisms I heard were not sparse: “teachers are poorly paid,

their universe is very small and their life is limited to giving classes,

taking work home, and nothing else. This profession is for people

who are not too skilled– you´ve always been in a good private

school and you´ll have wasted years of studies.” In face of such

discouraging comments, my objective had lost its veneer in my

mind and had remained dormant for a while.

And yet, as the date of the college entrance exams approached, a

friend said: “Mariana, were you really the one who abandoned

this profession, dropping that important choice in your life

because of the influence of people who undermine it?

Mariana Linhares Araújo – Belo Horizonte/MG

To be a teacher – with affection

This question made me think and suddenly I remembered

something I had learned when I was young: that I must be the

master of myself! But how?

The benefits and joys that the profession could bring to my life

were very clear in my mind and my heart. However, the external

influence had been so powerful that I had lacked sufficient inner

defenses to have the courage to decide for myself.

What was leading me to discard that choice when I knew quite

clearly the benefits this profession would bring me? Was I acting

according to my own thoughts and concepts? Was I being free to

think and act?

To know the thoughts, identify, select

and utilize them in the best manner is the key to lead my life

more consciously.

What I am is the precise reflection of what goes on in my inner

world. All things in my life, all my actions, emerge primarily from

this individual immaterial world that consists of my thoughts,

feelings, concepts, virtues and deficiencies. How can I therefore

claim to be free to think and act according to my own will without

truly knowing myself or being able to distinguish my own thoughts

from those of others?

I needed to be firm and convinced of my option when facing

many criticisms – a product of the inverted values in the current

The knowledge of the reality of the thoughts was of

fundamental importance for this experience, whose main

characters are my own thoughts and concepts and not those

of society in general.

3938 Essays on Freedom

Page 41: Essays on Freedom

What do you want to be when you grow up? What will be your

profession? I heard these questions over and over again during

my childhood. My career choice, which was filled with doubts

and uncertainties, was always on my mind.

When I was a little girl, I answered that I wanted to be a teacher,

perhaps because of the joy I felt teaching my dolls, or because of

my mother´s example since she herself was a teacher.

For a time, this choice remained firm and present but as I came

into adolescence, submerged in a universe of many influences,

the criticisms I heard were not sparse: “teachers are poorly paid,

their universe is very small and their life is limited to giving classes,

taking work home, and nothing else. This profession is for people

who are not too skilled– you´ve always been in a good private

school and you´ll have wasted years of studies.” In face of such

discouraging comments, my objective had lost its veneer in my

mind and had remained dormant for a while.

And yet, as the date of the college entrance exams approached, a

friend said: “Mariana, were you really the one who abandoned

this profession, dropping that important choice in your life

because of the influence of people who undermine it?

Mariana Linhares Araújo – Belo Horizonte/MG

To be a teacher – with affection

This question made me think and suddenly I remembered

something I had learned when I was young: that I must be the

master of myself! But how?

The benefits and joys that the profession could bring to my life

were very clear in my mind and my heart. However, the external

influence had been so powerful that I had lacked sufficient inner

defenses to have the courage to decide for myself.

What was leading me to discard that choice when I knew quite

clearly the benefits this profession would bring me? Was I acting

according to my own thoughts and concepts? Was I being free to

think and act?

To know the thoughts, identify, select

and utilize them in the best manner is the key to lead my life

more consciously.

What I am is the precise reflection of what goes on in my inner

world. All things in my life, all my actions, emerge primarily from

this individual immaterial world that consists of my thoughts,

feelings, concepts, virtues and deficiencies. How can I therefore

claim to be free to think and act according to my own will without

truly knowing myself or being able to distinguish my own thoughts

from those of others?

I needed to be firm and convinced of my option when facing

many criticisms – a product of the inverted values in the current

The knowledge of the reality of the thoughts was of

fundamental importance for this experience, whose main

characters are my own thoughts and concepts and not those

of society in general.

3938 Essays on Freedom

Page 42: Essays on Freedom

culture. I ask, therefore, “in what evolved culture could one

accept that “teachers are less capable individuals with substandard

psychological and intellectual aptitudes?” Can those who have the

most impact on shaping children – the future of humanity – really

have this profile? No!

When

acting with discretion and sharing our objective only with a

handful of those we trust, we have elements to discuss it

reasonably without weakening.

Today, as a teacher, I experience blissful moments and feel

immense gratitude realizing that I chose this option based on my

own thoughts and feelings. Becoming a teacher has granted me

countless opportunities, which are intrinsically connected to my

life's objective, and to the archetype that I have built for myself

and for the mother I want to be.

I have learned a secret – and that is, when you have an

objective you must be discreet. When I reveal this objective

to several people I am subjecting myself to criticisms of all

kinds, since each person thinks in a different way.

4140

Have you ever wanted to say that you didn't understand

something but refrained from speaking up for fear of being the

object of prejudice? Or on the contrary, have you ever

criticized someone for not knowing something? When in the

face of sneering, criticism or just a simple facial expression that

can be more eloquent than actual words, can you claim

freedom of expression?

I have been on both sides of the fence. Throughout my

adolescence and youth, I abated such traits mainly in their

external manifestations, but the inner change, which is

responsible for such behavior, was more difficult to achieve.

One day, I decided to discover the causes of such attitudes. I

started to express myself when I didn't understand an issue. As

I practiced this, I began to realize that the lack of understanding

was due, obviously, to my ignorance, or – to my surprise – to

not consider valuable what the other person was saying, which

produced inattention. At times, I also noticed a thought,

engrained since childhood, that making a mistake or not

knowing something was shameful and it had to be concealed so

that others would not “think badly of me.”

Mateus Fernandes Araújo – Curitiba/PR

Do you say“I don't understand”?

Essays on Freedom

Page 43: Essays on Freedom

culture. I ask, therefore, “in what evolved culture could one

accept that “teachers are less capable individuals with substandard

psychological and intellectual aptitudes?” Can those who have the

most impact on shaping children – the future of humanity – really

have this profile? No!

When

acting with discretion and sharing our objective only with a

handful of those we trust, we have elements to discuss it

reasonably without weakening.

Today, as a teacher, I experience blissful moments and feel

immense gratitude realizing that I chose this option based on my

own thoughts and feelings. Becoming a teacher has granted me

countless opportunities, which are intrinsically connected to my

life's objective, and to the archetype that I have built for myself

and for the mother I want to be.

I have learned a secret – and that is, when you have an

objective you must be discreet. When I reveal this objective

to several people I am subjecting myself to criticisms of all

kinds, since each person thinks in a different way.

4140

Have you ever wanted to say that you didn't understand

something but refrained from speaking up for fear of being the

object of prejudice? Or on the contrary, have you ever

criticized someone for not knowing something? When in the

face of sneering, criticism or just a simple facial expression that

can be more eloquent than actual words, can you claim

freedom of expression?

I have been on both sides of the fence. Throughout my

adolescence and youth, I abated such traits mainly in their

external manifestations, but the inner change, which is

responsible for such behavior, was more difficult to achieve.

One day, I decided to discover the causes of such attitudes. I

started to express myself when I didn't understand an issue. As

I practiced this, I began to realize that the lack of understanding

was due, obviously, to my ignorance, or – to my surprise – to

not consider valuable what the other person was saying, which

produced inattention. At times, I also noticed a thought,

engrained since childhood, that making a mistake or not

knowing something was shameful and it had to be concealed so

that others would not “think badly of me.”

Mateus Fernandes Araújo – Curitiba/PR

Do you say“I don't understand”?

Essays on Freedom

Page 44: Essays on Freedom

I have not permanently changed my attitude regarding

freedom of expression, but with each victory, this characteristic

gets stronger, and encourages me to face other psychological

defects that I have and which, for years, I hadn't the faintest

conscience they existed.

Feel free to understand or not what I have tried to convey here,

and similarly, to agree or not.

For me, individual freedom consists mainly in thinking

and acting on my own, knowing and accepting who I am,

so that I can become a better person.

4342

What are the greatest objectives of life of the majority of

human beings? To have the will to live, attain happiness and

inner peace. But how can these be achieved? I will describe

here how I have struggled to live this reality.

Inner peace. I try to attain it gradually and on a daily basis by

being conscious every moment of the thoughts that are

present in my mind. Being attentive to the sensations that

these produce – anxiety, sadness, happiness, peace, the will to

live, the determination to do good to myself and to others – I

try not to allow the thoughts that conspire against my inner

peace to settle in my mind. Concurrently, I create and

maintain, through my memory, thoughts that favor this long

sought peace.

It should be noted that the word “thought” used here, means

“the psychological entity that is born in the human mind where

it develops and even reaches its independent life”* Should this

definition seem absurd to you, close your eyes for a few

minutes and try not to think about anything. It's difficult, isn't

it? When doing this exercise we can observe and experience

the existence of the thoughts confirming that not all of them are

Maurílio Roriz Dias – São Paulo/SP

*Logosophical Conception. Please refer to the books “Logosophy- Science and Method” and “The Mechanism of Conscious Life.”

Essays on Freedom

Reaping the benefits

Page 45: Essays on Freedom

I have not permanently changed my attitude regarding

freedom of expression, but with each victory, this characteristic

gets stronger, and encourages me to face other psychological

defects that I have and which, for years, I hadn't the faintest

conscience they existed.

Feel free to understand or not what I have tried to convey here,

and similarly, to agree or not.

For me, individual freedom consists mainly in thinking

and acting on my own, knowing and accepting who I am,

so that I can become a better person.

4342

What are the greatest objectives of life of the majority of

human beings? To have the will to live, attain happiness and

inner peace. But how can these be achieved? I will describe

here how I have struggled to live this reality.

Inner peace. I try to attain it gradually and on a daily basis by

being conscious every moment of the thoughts that are

present in my mind. Being attentive to the sensations that

these produce – anxiety, sadness, happiness, peace, the will to

live, the determination to do good to myself and to others – I

try not to allow the thoughts that conspire against my inner

peace to settle in my mind. Concurrently, I create and

maintain, through my memory, thoughts that favor this long

sought peace.

It should be noted that the word “thought” used here, means

“the psychological entity that is born in the human mind where

it develops and even reaches its independent life”* Should this

definition seem absurd to you, close your eyes for a few

minutes and try not to think about anything. It's difficult, isn't

it? When doing this exercise we can observe and experience

the existence of the thoughts confirming that not all of them are

Maurílio Roriz Dias – São Paulo/SP

*Logosophical Conception. Please refer to the books “Logosophy- Science and Method” and “The Mechanism of Conscious Life.”

Essays on Freedom

Reaping the benefits

Page 46: Essays on Freedom

dependent on our will. Hence, they are autonomous, or in

other words, they possess a life of their own. If we try to remain

an entire day attentive to the thoughts that wander in our mind,

we will easily see that nearly all of them act independently of

our free will, or better said, are created by the most diverse

stimuli regardless of our will. For example: if at this very

moment, I told you, dear readers, not to imagine a blue sky

with the sun shining, many of you would not be able to avoid

imagining this scene. The same occurs with many people who

are not able to get rid of a thought of anger, for example, when

waiting in line for more than five minutes or when stuck in

traffic.

One can perceive, logically, that possessing the

knowledge and the mastery of the thoughts, it is possible to use

all the potential we have in creating the life we want.

A stronger will to live and more happy moments. A few

years ago, I was unhappy with my life. I didn't find it interesting

and wasn't very keen on living it. During that time, were it not

for feelings towards family and friends, life to me would only

consist of material objectives. I confirmed the inefficiency of

searching exclusively in the areas of material things to feel

happy and to have the will to live my life. After studying this

subject, I began to understand that the reason of human

existence on Earth is to evolve and also to help our fellowmen

in their evolution. Equipped with this new concept of life, I

began to have the will to live.

Yes! We do not fully master our minds when we

allow our thoughts to materialize, and consequently we do

not master the acts that determine, in general, the life we

lead.

4544

This new life consists of a comprehensive self-betterment and

of searching and attaining answers that satisfy my reasoning and

sensitivity about every element that is part of my existence.

Today I feel the satisfaction of being alive, with a great will

to live, and I have more moments of inner peace. These are

the results of the change in my life's objectives and of the

countless benefits that the process of conscious evolution

brings about.

Essays on Freedom

Page 47: Essays on Freedom

dependent on our will. Hence, they are autonomous, or in

other words, they possess a life of their own. If we try to remain

an entire day attentive to the thoughts that wander in our mind,

we will easily see that nearly all of them act independently of

our free will, or better said, are created by the most diverse

stimuli regardless of our will. For example: if at this very

moment, I told you, dear readers, not to imagine a blue sky

with the sun shining, many of you would not be able to avoid

imagining this scene. The same occurs with many people who

are not able to get rid of a thought of anger, for example, when

waiting in line for more than five minutes or when stuck in

traffic.

One can perceive, logically, that possessing the

knowledge and the mastery of the thoughts, it is possible to use

all the potential we have in creating the life we want.

A stronger will to live and more happy moments. A few

years ago, I was unhappy with my life. I didn't find it interesting

and wasn't very keen on living it. During that time, were it not

for feelings towards family and friends, life to me would only

consist of material objectives. I confirmed the inefficiency of

searching exclusively in the areas of material things to feel

happy and to have the will to live my life. After studying this

subject, I began to understand that the reason of human

existence on Earth is to evolve and also to help our fellowmen

in their evolution. Equipped with this new concept of life, I

began to have the will to live.

Yes! We do not fully master our minds when we

allow our thoughts to materialize, and consequently we do

not master the acts that determine, in general, the life we

lead.

4544

This new life consists of a comprehensive self-betterment and

of searching and attaining answers that satisfy my reasoning and

sensitivity about every element that is part of my existence.

Today I feel the satisfaction of being alive, with a great will

to live, and I have more moments of inner peace. These are

the results of the change in my life's objectives and of the

countless benefits that the process of conscious evolution

brings about.

Essays on Freedom

Page 48: Essays on Freedom

I have always heard the following saying: “At the end,

everything will be all right. If continues not being all right, it's

because it's not the end yet.” And I wondered: - Does this imply

that I shouldn't do much and just wait for time to go by and

everything will be all right?

Throughout time, we all face situations where we must make

decisions such as, what college we will attend, what city we want

to live in and what professional path we want to pursue. These

are major resolutions that later imprint visible changes in life.

There are also the less significant decisions, namely to say what

you think, to go or not to certain places, to determine whether or

not it is beneficial to befriend certain people…These decisions

apparently do not change much our way of life, however if they

are not made wisely, they may give life an unexpected turn.

When we build a friendship, we also build amiability, respect

and trust; we discover common tastes, affinities, etc. With those

who are closest, we often establish among friends what I used to

call “freedom”, which allowed me to say whatever I felt like.

I had a friend whom I liked so much that I may say I trusted her

more than I trusted myself. Unnoticed by me, this great trust led

Morgana Brun – Florianópolis/SC

4746

me down a path that did not please me: what the other person

said was more important than what I was thinking. If she said I

would not make it, I did not even try; if she said that a specific

way was better, then I would follow. I found myself more and

more tied down to decisions and thoughts that were not my

own.

Unlike what I had initially thought, I realized as time went by

that I was not “all right” in various aspects of my life.

I did not need to be free

just to utter impulsively what I thought and, yes, to be free to act

in the way I considered to be the correct one.

If I were to continue living like that, looking only at what

surrounded me, I would continue seeing what others did and

nothing would change. Therefore, I realized that I had to look

at my inner world and trust what my mind and sensitivity said.

Self-confidence can be built. I started to develop mine by

getting to know myself and asking: - Who do I want to be?

What have been my accomplishments until now? What am I

capable of doing? As I turned my attention towards my inner

self, I perceived the existence of a courageous being with

disposition to face the struggles necessary for her to become a

better and more capable individual, having to confront

difficulties but also knowing where to find the necessary

resources.

Questions

began to emerge: “What do I want for my future? Is this the

right way to go? Can I do things differently?” I realized that

I needed to be free to become what I wanted to be and not

what others wanted me to become.

Essays on Freedom

Inner freedom

Page 49: Essays on Freedom

I have always heard the following saying: “At the end,

everything will be all right. If continues not being all right, it's

because it's not the end yet.” And I wondered: - Does this imply

that I shouldn't do much and just wait for time to go by and

everything will be all right?

Throughout time, we all face situations where we must make

decisions such as, what college we will attend, what city we want

to live in and what professional path we want to pursue. These

are major resolutions that later imprint visible changes in life.

There are also the less significant decisions, namely to say what

you think, to go or not to certain places, to determine whether or

not it is beneficial to befriend certain people…These decisions

apparently do not change much our way of life, however if they

are not made wisely, they may give life an unexpected turn.

When we build a friendship, we also build amiability, respect

and trust; we discover common tastes, affinities, etc. With those

who are closest, we often establish among friends what I used to

call “freedom”, which allowed me to say whatever I felt like.

I had a friend whom I liked so much that I may say I trusted her

more than I trusted myself. Unnoticed by me, this great trust led

Morgana Brun – Florianópolis/SC

4746

me down a path that did not please me: what the other person

said was more important than what I was thinking. If she said I

would not make it, I did not even try; if she said that a specific

way was better, then I would follow. I found myself more and

more tied down to decisions and thoughts that were not my

own.

Unlike what I had initially thought, I realized as time went by

that I was not “all right” in various aspects of my life.

I did not need to be free

just to utter impulsively what I thought and, yes, to be free to act

in the way I considered to be the correct one.

If I were to continue living like that, looking only at what

surrounded me, I would continue seeing what others did and

nothing would change. Therefore, I realized that I had to look

at my inner world and trust what my mind and sensitivity said.

Self-confidence can be built. I started to develop mine by

getting to know myself and asking: - Who do I want to be?

What have been my accomplishments until now? What am I

capable of doing? As I turned my attention towards my inner

self, I perceived the existence of a courageous being with

disposition to face the struggles necessary for her to become a

better and more capable individual, having to confront

difficulties but also knowing where to find the necessary

resources.

Questions

began to emerge: “What do I want for my future? Is this the

right way to go? Can I do things differently?” I realized that

I needed to be free to become what I wanted to be and not

what others wanted me to become.

Essays on Freedom

Inner freedom

Page 50: Essays on Freedom

As we build our own being with confidence, with what we think

and feel, the chains that bind us to the opinions of others break,

and the prerogatives of choosing our own future and destiny

increase. To me, to live according to what the thoughts of

others dictate, doesn't make sense anymore. .

In order to do the right thing, we can't simply wait for time to go

by thinking that our problems will be solved on their own. To

attain freedom and act according to our thinking and feelings

we must be active as we face he future we want to live.

4948

To be or not to be free? This may seem like a very simple and

even obvious question. However, I am not referring to

freedom of expression, or to the one regarding the citizens'

right to come and go, or to other victories recorded by human

history, but to the inner freedom of each human being. I have

observed that in many instances, and due to different reasons, I

do not exercise my freedom to act according to what I think or

want for myself.

Am I truly free when, following the latest fashion, beauty

standards or trendy haircuts, I observe the pressure of thoughts

that urge me to follow prescribed molds or adopt certain

behaviors, even when they contradict my personal taste? And

regarding my professional achievements, do I really know what

my financial goals are, or am I following a mental flow that only

overrates work and monetary gains?

Sometime ago, influenced by a friend, I began to be overly

concerned with the clothes I wore - these had to be, or so I

believed, of “designer labels”. Although I knew that in order to

obey that thought which had taken over my mind, my parents

would have to make an effort to afford these expensive clothes,

Nicolas César Franco – Belo Horizonte/MG

Essays on Freedom

reedom and fashion trends

Page 51: Essays on Freedom

As we build our own being with confidence, with what we think

and feel, the chains that bind us to the opinions of others break,

and the prerogatives of choosing our own future and destiny

increase. To me, to live according to what the thoughts of

others dictate, doesn't make sense anymore. .

In order to do the right thing, we can't simply wait for time to go

by thinking that our problems will be solved on their own. To

attain freedom and act according to our thinking and feelings

we must be active as we face he future we want to live.

4948

To be or not to be free? This may seem like a very simple and

even obvious question. However, I am not referring to

freedom of expression, or to the one regarding the citizens'

right to come and go, or to other victories recorded by human

history, but to the inner freedom of each human being. I have

observed that in many instances, and due to different reasons, I

do not exercise my freedom to act according to what I think or

want for myself.

Am I truly free when, following the latest fashion, beauty

standards or trendy haircuts, I observe the pressure of thoughts

that urge me to follow prescribed molds or adopt certain

behaviors, even when they contradict my personal taste? And

regarding my professional achievements, do I really know what

my financial goals are, or am I following a mental flow that only

overrates work and monetary gains?

Sometime ago, influenced by a friend, I began to be overly

concerned with the clothes I wore - these had to be, or so I

believed, of “designer labels”. Although I knew that in order to

obey that thought which had taken over my mind, my parents

would have to make an effort to afford these expensive clothes,

Nicolas César Franco – Belo Horizonte/MG

Essays on Freedom

reedom and fashion trends

Page 52: Essays on Freedom

I could not grasp that my behavior was caused by a

psychological deficiency I could not control. I was still lacking

mental defenses to protect me from the pressures of these or

other thoughts that forced me to escape reality and easily

affected my emotional inner state.

This belief has hurt me greatly in several

situations, causing me to waste opportunities and make

mistakes, which eventually restricted my individual freedom.

Today, I am learning that true freedom starts within de

individual and is based on knowledge. The greater the

knowledge I possess in a given field, the greater the possibilities

of acting the right way. Knowledge bestows upon me freedom

of action and helps me move forward with assurance, knowing

where I stand.

In fact, the freedom that

I imagined that I possessed was nothing more than a blind

belief in me.

By knowing my inner reality, and the

resources on which I can count on to face the difficulties

that life presents, I can be free and certainly happier.

What would be different in our lives if we were totally free?

I immediately envisioned myself enjoying life with no

commitments whatsoever. Assuming this was real, could I still

claim that I was free? Well... I thought I could.

The first time I stopped to think about my freedom, I was 15

years old, and as all teenagers, I imagined how great it would be

if my parents gave me more freedom to go to parties, concerts,

etc. At that time, in a conversation with friends, I started

discussing this issue in a tone of complaint and I was surprised

when I heard: – “Your parents already give you a lot of

freedom… You are very lucky to have cool parents.”

In fact, compared to other youngsters, I did enjoy a certain

freedom, which up to that moment I was not aware of. How

could I have freedom, benefit from it and not even know I had

it? Why were my parents giving me freedom? And from the

moment I knew I had it, what was I supposed do with it?

To begin with, the thing to do would be to stop complaining

and use it consciously. I began to appreciate the small and

frequent demonstrations of trust deposited in me by my

Paulo Henrique de Franco Alcântara – Brasília/DF

5150 Essays on Freedom

The triangle

Page 53: Essays on Freedom

I could not grasp that my behavior was caused by a

psychological deficiency I could not control. I was still lacking

mental defenses to protect me from the pressures of these or

other thoughts that forced me to escape reality and easily

affected my emotional inner state.

This belief has hurt me greatly in several

situations, causing me to waste opportunities and make

mistakes, which eventually restricted my individual freedom.

Today, I am learning that true freedom starts within de

individual and is based on knowledge. The greater the

knowledge I possess in a given field, the greater the possibilities

of acting the right way. Knowledge bestows upon me freedom

of action and helps me move forward with assurance, knowing

where I stand.

In fact, the freedom that

I imagined that I possessed was nothing more than a blind

belief in me.

By knowing my inner reality, and the

resources on which I can count on to face the difficulties

that life presents, I can be free and certainly happier.

What would be different in our lives if we were totally free?

I immediately envisioned myself enjoying life with no

commitments whatsoever. Assuming this was real, could I still

claim that I was free? Well... I thought I could.

The first time I stopped to think about my freedom, I was 15

years old, and as all teenagers, I imagined how great it would be

if my parents gave me more freedom to go to parties, concerts,

etc. At that time, in a conversation with friends, I started

discussing this issue in a tone of complaint and I was surprised

when I heard: – “Your parents already give you a lot of

freedom… You are very lucky to have cool parents.”

In fact, compared to other youngsters, I did enjoy a certain

freedom, which up to that moment I was not aware of. How

could I have freedom, benefit from it and not even know I had

it? Why were my parents giving me freedom? And from the

moment I knew I had it, what was I supposed do with it?

To begin with, the thing to do would be to stop complaining

and use it consciously. I began to appreciate the small and

frequent demonstrations of trust deposited in me by my

Paulo Henrique de Franco Alcântara – Brasília/DF

5150 Essays on Freedom

The triangle

Page 54: Essays on Freedom

parents and concluded that I was truly lucky to belong to such a

family.

There is no freedom if

there is a lack of responsibility or of knowledge. This is

obvious! But I had never even fathomed this truth. On the

contrary, I considered myself to be free when I acted

irresponsibly and did not need to account to anyone of my

actions. It became clear to me, then, that the freedom I had was

a credit granted by my parents, and it was up to me to expand it

through an adequate behavior. This entailed taking things

more seriously until I developed a trustworthy concept which

would earn me an even broader scope of freedom.

These were the experiences of a teenager who yearned to

become independent from his parents, but which served as a

starting point to begin to understand the greatness of the

concept of freedom. Nowadays, having already conquered

part of this independence, new situations make me question

whether I am truly free. However, differently from what

happened in the past, these situations no longer seem to be a

complaint nor do they make me feel rebellious. This time, they

seem more like intimate inquietudes. Now the aim is to be free

from the “whims”, which take hold of me daily and which are

clearly contrary to my objectives.

One day, although I wasn't tired, I found myself lying in bed

trying hard to sleep. It may sound silly, but I was wasting time

rather than carrying out some of the several tasks I had for the

day. I still had to listen to the excuse in my mind: “Relax now so

The image of a triangle came to mind correlating

one word in each of its three vortexes: freedom,

responsibility and knowledge.

that later you will be in better shape to comply with your

duties.” It sounded so logical that I couldn't even sit up and –

guess what! – I fell asleep. Needless to say how much I had to

rush to compensate for the delay. All in all, this was the

outcome after the many choices I made.

Going back the image of the triangle, I now concluded that in

addition to developing responsibility, I needed knowledge to

attain free will. I found a concept that defines this “will” as

being the expression of the power of a thought. I dared to list

the various thoughts that entered my mind in one day. I then

classified them into positive and negative and there was no

doubt: I needed to improve the way I selected my thoughts.

And I used to believe I was free! How naive I had been! By

repeating for several days the experience of writing down the

thoughts that appeared in my mind, I noticed that I was

becoming so much more attentive that I can say I made my

choices more consciously and, I can say, with more freedom.

Some may

even question whether it is worthwhile to dedicate so much

effort to it. Well, if we consider that, according to statistics, our

life expectancy is much longer than 73.2 years, and if we can

anticipate the happiness experienced with the feeling of being

totally free, I deem the investment worthwhile.

This conscious search for my inner freedom has been going

on for ten years and should last until the last day of my life.

It appears to be quite a long process, doesn't it?

5352 Essays on Freedom

Page 55: Essays on Freedom

parents and concluded that I was truly lucky to belong to such a

family.

There is no freedom if

there is a lack of responsibility or of knowledge. This is

obvious! But I had never even fathomed this truth. On the

contrary, I considered myself to be free when I acted

irresponsibly and did not need to account to anyone of my

actions. It became clear to me, then, that the freedom I had was

a credit granted by my parents, and it was up to me to expand it

through an adequate behavior. This entailed taking things

more seriously until I developed a trustworthy concept which

would earn me an even broader scope of freedom.

These were the experiences of a teenager who yearned to

become independent from his parents, but which served as a

starting point to begin to understand the greatness of the

concept of freedom. Nowadays, having already conquered

part of this independence, new situations make me question

whether I am truly free. However, differently from what

happened in the past, these situations no longer seem to be a

complaint nor do they make me feel rebellious. This time, they

seem more like intimate inquietudes. Now the aim is to be free

from the “whims”, which take hold of me daily and which are

clearly contrary to my objectives.

One day, although I wasn't tired, I found myself lying in bed

trying hard to sleep. It may sound silly, but I was wasting time

rather than carrying out some of the several tasks I had for the

day. I still had to listen to the excuse in my mind: “Relax now so

The image of a triangle came to mind correlating

one word in each of its three vortexes: freedom,

responsibility and knowledge.

that later you will be in better shape to comply with your

duties.” It sounded so logical that I couldn't even sit up and –

guess what! – I fell asleep. Needless to say how much I had to

rush to compensate for the delay. All in all, this was the

outcome after the many choices I made.

Going back the image of the triangle, I now concluded that in

addition to developing responsibility, I needed knowledge to

attain free will. I found a concept that defines this “will” as

being the expression of the power of a thought. I dared to list

the various thoughts that entered my mind in one day. I then

classified them into positive and negative and there was no

doubt: I needed to improve the way I selected my thoughts.

And I used to believe I was free! How naive I had been! By

repeating for several days the experience of writing down the

thoughts that appeared in my mind, I noticed that I was

becoming so much more attentive that I can say I made my

choices more consciously and, I can say, with more freedom.

Some may

even question whether it is worthwhile to dedicate so much

effort to it. Well, if we consider that, according to statistics, our

life expectancy is much longer than 73.2 years, and if we can

anticipate the happiness experienced with the feeling of being

totally free, I deem the investment worthwhile.

This conscious search for my inner freedom has been going

on for ten years and should last until the last day of my life.

It appears to be quite a long process, doesn't it?

5352 Essays on Freedom

Page 56: Essays on Freedom

Pedro Henrique de Andrade Corrêa – Brasília/DF

If I were asked whether I'm free, the first answer that would

probably come to mind would be: “Definitely! Why wouldn't I

be free?” In our society, the concept of freedom is so vast and

variable that it is difficult to determine what is “to be free” or “not

to be free.”

Some of the limiting factors to freedom are blind beliefs and

superstitions. I had an experience that will serve as an example.

Right after I had been in a car accident, I wanted to sell my car

and avoided driving on that same road where it had happened.

Interestingly enough, when people told me that I had to request

a blessing or ask a priest to bless my car, I thought: “How silly it is

to believe that this would solve my problem.” After a while, I

began to reflect on this experience and noticed that my

approach in that circumstance was also based on beliefs, since

the car had not decided to cause the accident, nor could the road

be blamed. I ended up identifying in my inner being a fear that

was a negative influence on my freedom, as it was sustained by

superstitions, which a simple reflection was able to eliminate.

These psychological deficiencies are negative

thoughts that are embedded in the mind of human beings. As a

Other factors that strongly oppose freedom are the

deficiencies.

first example, I'll mention shyness, which prevents the individual

from expressing what he thinks and feels. Another example is

the lack of will power that blocks his efforts to achieve objectives

and resolutions, as it decreases the necessary motivation to do

so.

In addition to the above aspects, we have traditions and

prejudices that also constitute traps against freedom as they don't

allow us to review recurrent mistakes, which are never studied.

How can I obtain the freedom of being who I really am? In my

view, one of the first points to make is that freedom is not an end

in itself.

Freedom must be

based on knowledge, which is the legitimate element to fight

beliefs and eliminate fear, as well as, achieve, in the best possible

manner, the review and renewal of the concepts governing each

person's life.

There is no freedom without the exercise of one's

conscience in reaching a set objective.

5554 Essays on Freedom

Tackling obstacles

Page 57: Essays on Freedom

Pedro Henrique de Andrade Corrêa – Brasília/DF

If I were asked whether I'm free, the first answer that would

probably come to mind would be: “Definitely! Why wouldn't I

be free?” In our society, the concept of freedom is so vast and

variable that it is difficult to determine what is “to be free” or “not

to be free.”

Some of the limiting factors to freedom are blind beliefs and

superstitions. I had an experience that will serve as an example.

Right after I had been in a car accident, I wanted to sell my car

and avoided driving on that same road where it had happened.

Interestingly enough, when people told me that I had to request

a blessing or ask a priest to bless my car, I thought: “How silly it is

to believe that this would solve my problem.” After a while, I

began to reflect on this experience and noticed that my

approach in that circumstance was also based on beliefs, since

the car had not decided to cause the accident, nor could the road

be blamed. I ended up identifying in my inner being a fear that

was a negative influence on my freedom, as it was sustained by

superstitions, which a simple reflection was able to eliminate.

These psychological deficiencies are negative

thoughts that are embedded in the mind of human beings. As a

Other factors that strongly oppose freedom are the

deficiencies.

first example, I'll mention shyness, which prevents the individual

from expressing what he thinks and feels. Another example is

the lack of will power that blocks his efforts to achieve objectives

and resolutions, as it decreases the necessary motivation to do

so.

In addition to the above aspects, we have traditions and

prejudices that also constitute traps against freedom as they don't

allow us to review recurrent mistakes, which are never studied.

How can I obtain the freedom of being who I really am? In my

view, one of the first points to make is that freedom is not an end

in itself.

Freedom must be

based on knowledge, which is the legitimate element to fight

beliefs and eliminate fear, as well as, achieve, in the best possible

manner, the review and renewal of the concepts governing each

person's life.

There is no freedom without the exercise of one's

conscience in reaching a set objective.

5554 Essays on Freedom

Tackling obstacles

Page 58: Essays on Freedom

I belong to the 80's generation and I have followed the great

changes that the role of women has undergone within the family

and the society. I grew up hearing about equality of rights

between men and women and how women were gradually

gaining more independence to eventually transform themselves

into what we call a “modern woman”.

As an adult, I aimed to be the model of a “modern woman” by

focusing all my energies on my professional life in order to

become strong and successful. I was not too concerned about

whether I would get married or not. Although I felt a great desire

to build a family, I had not prepared myself to be a good wife or

a mother. What I did know was that I refused to do dishes

because modern women didn't do that, and certainly I would

never know how to cook because this was a housewife´s chore.

As I based my life on this conception, I witnessed the

generation of “modern women” being transformed; women

suffered under excessive workloads, they lacked preparation

to act with the altruism required in a couple's relationship, they

always felt they were in debt with their children and were

dissatisfied for not fulfilling their spiritual needs. In an effort to

Priscila Chiavelli Pacheco – São Paulo/SP

fight against these inequities, neither costly spas nor other

diverse therapies and entertainment were efficient. I began to

question myself whether I really wanted all this.

Before, I used to tell people that I didn't know whether or not I

would get married and have children. Nevertheless, one day,

someone introduced me to a new concept of women. I initially

judged this with some prejudice because it referred to values

that I no longer cherished and which had been poorly

transmitted to my generation.

I realized something great in all this: that my thought was tied to

the social thought that women had to “be modern.” The

freedom of thinking I had regarding this topic was so minute

that my words were mere reproductions of what I heard from

other women. In addition, they didn't correspond to what I

most yearned for, or even worse, I didn't know precisely what I

should be seeking in life. This resulted in setting my escape

routes of not wanting to get married or having children…. — yet,

I felt if this were to occur it would be wonderful!

However, I was feeling

internally that the new concepts I was learning were true.

When I applied them to my life, the results I obtained made

my heart beat faster with joy and made me see a great

affinity with what I was searching for: a sense of balance in

the most prominent aspects of life.

I realize today that it is not a matter of becoming the

woman of the 20's, 30's, 40's or 90's, but of becoming the

woman I want to be.

5756 Essays on Freedom

The real modern woman

Page 59: Essays on Freedom

I belong to the 80's generation and I have followed the great

changes that the role of women has undergone within the family

and the society. I grew up hearing about equality of rights

between men and women and how women were gradually

gaining more independence to eventually transform themselves

into what we call a “modern woman”.

As an adult, I aimed to be the model of a “modern woman” by

focusing all my energies on my professional life in order to

become strong and successful. I was not too concerned about

whether I would get married or not. Although I felt a great desire

to build a family, I had not prepared myself to be a good wife or

a mother. What I did know was that I refused to do dishes

because modern women didn't do that, and certainly I would

never know how to cook because this was a housewife´s chore.

As I based my life on this conception, I witnessed the

generation of “modern women” being transformed; women

suffered under excessive workloads, they lacked preparation

to act with the altruism required in a couple's relationship, they

always felt they were in debt with their children and were

dissatisfied for not fulfilling their spiritual needs. In an effort to

Priscila Chiavelli Pacheco – São Paulo/SP

fight against these inequities, neither costly spas nor other

diverse therapies and entertainment were efficient. I began to

question myself whether I really wanted all this.

Before, I used to tell people that I didn't know whether or not I

would get married and have children. Nevertheless, one day,

someone introduced me to a new concept of women. I initially

judged this with some prejudice because it referred to values

that I no longer cherished and which had been poorly

transmitted to my generation.

I realized something great in all this: that my thought was tied to

the social thought that women had to “be modern.” The

freedom of thinking I had regarding this topic was so minute

that my words were mere reproductions of what I heard from

other women. In addition, they didn't correspond to what I

most yearned for, or even worse, I didn't know precisely what I

should be seeking in life. This resulted in setting my escape

routes of not wanting to get married or having children…. — yet,

I felt if this were to occur it would be wonderful!

However, I was feeling

internally that the new concepts I was learning were true.

When I applied them to my life, the results I obtained made

my heart beat faster with joy and made me see a great

affinity with what I was searching for: a sense of balance in

the most prominent aspects of life.

I realize today that it is not a matter of becoming the

woman of the 20's, 30's, 40's or 90's, but of becoming the

woman I want to be.

5756 Essays on Freedom

The real modern woman

Page 60: Essays on Freedom

This means having freedom to think, to reflect effectively and

to acquire knowledge in order to find my role in life and in that

of others, as a woman. In order to undertake this, I need a

process of intelligent self-betterment, which can enrich my

conscience with new cognitions, because those I had until then

did not satisfy me anymore. Many of those had already turned

into obsolete prejudices.

As a woman, during this process of self-knowledge, I identified

many aspects of extreme importance, such as the excessive

concern about my looks, at the expense of the true attention I

had to develop internally to be truly “beautiful.” It was also

important to identify the negative characteristics that were so

active in me and deeply unbalanced my life, such as

indiscretion, amongst others, which were replaced by virtues

such as generosity, tactfulness, amiability, kindness, etc.

Today I yearn to become a different woman and I see that in

order to be truly modern, I have to become a free thinking

woman, knowing what is right for me, for my family, for my

professional life, for my friends, all according to my own

conscience. And this means living to the fullest each one of

these aspects until they reach their magnitude.

Youth is a very productive phase of life because it is when some

of the major choices for the future are made and start their path

to accomplishment. What college will I choose? What subjects

will I pick? Should I follow an academic career or work in the

corporate world? What about dating? Should I start thinking

about marriage? Do I already know what love is yet? How does

one go about starting a family? All these queries surfaced when

I was a teenager and I presume that, in some way, they will be

present my whole life. Inevitably, they will participate in

building my future.

Our world is filled with opportunities. We can choose the

paths we want to follow. Still, does this guarantee my individual

freedom?

I've always believed that my freedom could be restrained by

others: by parental control during adolescence; by the violence

in the streets that locks me down at home, or by my superior

who doesn't free up my vacation days. In sum, I never believed

that I could work against my own freedom.

Samira Nagem Lima – Belo Horizonte/MG

5958 Essays on Freedom

reedom – how many choices have you

made so far?

Page 61: Essays on Freedom

This means having freedom to think, to reflect effectively and

to acquire knowledge in order to find my role in life and in that

of others, as a woman. In order to undertake this, I need a

process of intelligent self-betterment, which can enrich my

conscience with new cognitions, because those I had until then

did not satisfy me anymore. Many of those had already turned

into obsolete prejudices.

As a woman, during this process of self-knowledge, I identified

many aspects of extreme importance, such as the excessive

concern about my looks, at the expense of the true attention I

had to develop internally to be truly “beautiful.” It was also

important to identify the negative characteristics that were so

active in me and deeply unbalanced my life, such as

indiscretion, amongst others, which were replaced by virtues

such as generosity, tactfulness, amiability, kindness, etc.

Today I yearn to become a different woman and I see that in

order to be truly modern, I have to become a free thinking

woman, knowing what is right for me, for my family, for my

professional life, for my friends, all according to my own

conscience. And this means living to the fullest each one of

these aspects until they reach their magnitude.

Youth is a very productive phase of life because it is when some

of the major choices for the future are made and start their path

to accomplishment. What college will I choose? What subjects

will I pick? Should I follow an academic career or work in the

corporate world? What about dating? Should I start thinking

about marriage? Do I already know what love is yet? How does

one go about starting a family? All these queries surfaced when

I was a teenager and I presume that, in some way, they will be

present my whole life. Inevitably, they will participate in

building my future.

Our world is filled with opportunities. We can choose the

paths we want to follow. Still, does this guarantee my individual

freedom?

I've always believed that my freedom could be restrained by

others: by parental control during adolescence; by the violence

in the streets that locks me down at home, or by my superior

who doesn't free up my vacation days. In sum, I never believed

that I could work against my own freedom.

Samira Nagem Lima – Belo Horizonte/MG

5958 Essays on Freedom

reedom – how many choices have you

made so far?

Page 62: Essays on Freedom

Can I do that? How? How can I be responsible for suppressing

my own freedom? Just imagine living in a world like ours, filled

with opportunities, but being subjected to other peoples'

choices. Well, this was the situation in which I found myself

and in which, I observed, many other people do as well.

For a long time I didn't manage my own life but kept on

believing that I did. It is easy to understand how this could

happen. How many times were you ready to make an

important decision and refrained from it until you first

consulted someone else – not necessarily an expert or anyone

versed on the subject but a friend or a family member? How

little we think about what we need in order to achieve our goals!

We don't think about the resources we already possess for that

endeavor, nor about do those that we still need to acquire. We

often wonder: who can help me? And we always end up with a

survey about what the other person would choose if he/she

were in our situation. The approval of others gives us a false

sense of assurance that we are on the right track. The choice

may or may not be accurate in view of the consequences it

brings, but it was not I who chose it. I don't even need to ask or

consult anyone for his/her opinion for the interference to take

place. The interference is not always verbalized. Many people

happen to make certain choices just because a friend would do

it, or their father did it. Others happen to believe that they

What is the use of having so many choices if I am not the

one who makes them? To be free is not to have a thousand

possibilities, but surely to have the capability of choosing

them without the interference of others.

desperately need the latest state-of-the-art cell phone with a

thousand features, just like his colleague at work has.

Quite often I believe to be in control when in fact other

peoples' thoughts are the ones taking care of everything. In my

inner self, the thoughts that used up most of the space in my

mind were those of insecurity and fear about my future. These

ended up causing a lot of damage as they led me away from my

responsibilities, and subjected them to the will of others. Even

simple decisions concerning physical or practical issues grew to

become huge doubts in my eyes. I allowed the thought of fear

about my future to inhibit my actions. I ended up creating bad

consequences for myself.

It is inside our own mind that such thoughts dictate our actions.

How then could I take over the reins of my life?

This will only be feasible if I first get to know the mechanism of

my mental system. This has been one of my great challenges. It

is a practical exercise in which I make use of the faculties of

thinking, reflecting and observing, among others. The efforts,

as well as the practice, are carried out with great joy. Nowadays,

whenever I´m faced with a decision, I try to identify the

thoughts that will be useful and those that will be useless in this

endeavor. I need to exert myself considerably to manage to

fight the most recurrent ones before they cause any damage.

Through the acquisition of knowledge, I expand my

conscience and therefore the possibility to be free - free and

responsible for my own choices, and for as many options as

necessary to build a solid future for myself.

6160 Essays on Freedom

Page 63: Essays on Freedom

Can I do that? How? How can I be responsible for suppressing

my own freedom? Just imagine living in a world like ours, filled

with opportunities, but being subjected to other peoples'

choices. Well, this was the situation in which I found myself

and in which, I observed, many other people do as well.

For a long time I didn't manage my own life but kept on

believing that I did. It is easy to understand how this could

happen. How many times were you ready to make an

important decision and refrained from it until you first

consulted someone else – not necessarily an expert or anyone

versed on the subject but a friend or a family member? How

little we think about what we need in order to achieve our goals!

We don't think about the resources we already possess for that

endeavor, nor about do those that we still need to acquire. We

often wonder: who can help me? And we always end up with a

survey about what the other person would choose if he/she

were in our situation. The approval of others gives us a false

sense of assurance that we are on the right track. The choice

may or may not be accurate in view of the consequences it

brings, but it was not I who chose it. I don't even need to ask or

consult anyone for his/her opinion for the interference to take

place. The interference is not always verbalized. Many people

happen to make certain choices just because a friend would do

it, or their father did it. Others happen to believe that they

What is the use of having so many choices if I am not the

one who makes them? To be free is not to have a thousand

possibilities, but surely to have the capability of choosing

them without the interference of others.

desperately need the latest state-of-the-art cell phone with a

thousand features, just like his colleague at work has.

Quite often I believe to be in control when in fact other

peoples' thoughts are the ones taking care of everything. In my

inner self, the thoughts that used up most of the space in my

mind were those of insecurity and fear about my future. These

ended up causing a lot of damage as they led me away from my

responsibilities, and subjected them to the will of others. Even

simple decisions concerning physical or practical issues grew to

become huge doubts in my eyes. I allowed the thought of fear

about my future to inhibit my actions. I ended up creating bad

consequences for myself.

It is inside our own mind that such thoughts dictate our actions.

How then could I take over the reins of my life?

This will only be feasible if I first get to know the mechanism of

my mental system. This has been one of my great challenges. It

is a practical exercise in which I make use of the faculties of

thinking, reflecting and observing, among others. The efforts,

as well as the practice, are carried out with great joy. Nowadays,

whenever I´m faced with a decision, I try to identify the

thoughts that will be useful and those that will be useless in this

endeavor. I need to exert myself considerably to manage to

fight the most recurrent ones before they cause any damage.

Through the acquisition of knowledge, I expand my

conscience and therefore the possibility to be free - free and

responsible for my own choices, and for as many options as

necessary to build a solid future for myself.

6160 Essays on Freedom

Page 64: Essays on Freedom

Having majored in Social Communication, I had the

opportunity to review various forms of winning over the public

and transform certain brands into a lifestyle. If you want to

convey the image of a “surfer” or a “playboy”, you must have

certain preferences, but if you want to convey that of an

“intellectual”, you need others. In sum: am I a surfer or an

intellectual? Can I be neither or be one of the two? Why is it

fashionable to be like this? Other doubts also spring up

regarding our actions, for example, should I dedicate my life to

building a family just like the one in the margarine ad or should I

explore the world with a backpack on my shoulders like many

travel logs show?

The starting point to define my identity is to know who I want to

be. All the above options can be considered, as long as I know

exactly who I am. No one can claim that it is wrong to adopt a

certain lifestyle, but it must be in accordance with what is truly

authentic in each one.

Eventually I realized that my life wasn´t as harmonious as the

margarine advertisement, and that the backpackers who go out

into the world are not as secure or frugal as they seem.

Shenara Pantaleão Ramadan – Curitiba/PR

Concurrently, I began to focus on my relationships aiming to

become more pleasant, not necessarily like the people in the

margarine ads, but satisfied with my conscious achievement.

As for my trips, when they are consciously planned, they may

become as fantastic as those shown on TV. After all, I learned

that happiness is not found only at the end of each project.

When traveling to a given place, it is not only reaching my

destination that will make me happy. I can learn a great deal

when searching for hotels, choosing transportation or

determining my itinerary. We have to given in to the other

travelers' opinions and pick the most suitable date for the whole

group, , review our financial resources and even overcome our

fears. Ultimately, to be free is to learn how to let go of our

outdated thoughts, of our prejudices and of some of our dreams

that cannot be adapted to reality.

This way, one

can enjoy the many opportunities offered by life and can make

each moment lived a lot more beneficial than those seen in the

commercials, which are perfect because they only last one

minute.

To be free is much more pleasant than to live according to

the parameters the media offers. It is to be able to choose

based on what you are and on your dreams.

6362 Essays on Freedom

Is your behavior a reflection of what you see on TV ?

Page 65: Essays on Freedom

Having majored in Social Communication, I had the

opportunity to review various forms of winning over the public

and transform certain brands into a lifestyle. If you want to

convey the image of a “surfer” or a “playboy”, you must have

certain preferences, but if you want to convey that of an

“intellectual”, you need others. In sum: am I a surfer or an

intellectual? Can I be neither or be one of the two? Why is it

fashionable to be like this? Other doubts also spring up

regarding our actions, for example, should I dedicate my life to

building a family just like the one in the margarine ad or should I

explore the world with a backpack on my shoulders like many

travel logs show?

The starting point to define my identity is to know who I want to

be. All the above options can be considered, as long as I know

exactly who I am. No one can claim that it is wrong to adopt a

certain lifestyle, but it must be in accordance with what is truly

authentic in each one.

Eventually I realized that my life wasn´t as harmonious as the

margarine advertisement, and that the backpackers who go out

into the world are not as secure or frugal as they seem.

Shenara Pantaleão Ramadan – Curitiba/PR

Concurrently, I began to focus on my relationships aiming to

become more pleasant, not necessarily like the people in the

margarine ads, but satisfied with my conscious achievement.

As for my trips, when they are consciously planned, they may

become as fantastic as those shown on TV. After all, I learned

that happiness is not found only at the end of each project.

When traveling to a given place, it is not only reaching my

destination that will make me happy. I can learn a great deal

when searching for hotels, choosing transportation or

determining my itinerary. We have to given in to the other

travelers' opinions and pick the most suitable date for the whole

group, , review our financial resources and even overcome our

fears. Ultimately, to be free is to learn how to let go of our

outdated thoughts, of our prejudices and of some of our dreams

that cannot be adapted to reality.

This way, one

can enjoy the many opportunities offered by life and can make

each moment lived a lot more beneficial than those seen in the

commercials, which are perfect because they only last one

minute.

To be free is much more pleasant than to live according to

the parameters the media offers. It is to be able to choose

based on what you are and on your dreams.

6362 Essays on Freedom

Is your behavior a reflection of what you see on TV ?

Page 66: Essays on Freedom

Born in a democratic country, in a period of freedom of

expression and respect for every human being's right to come

and go freely, I used to see the lack of freedom as something that

was part of old History books. Therefore, I had always I

believed I was free.

However, as time went by, something seemed to contradict this.

Later I understood that I had accepted this as a belief, or better

said, without thinking or reasoning. The reason is that during

my entire adolescence and also as a young woman, I was

influenced and involved by other peoples' ideas and thoughts,

among them the extreme effort to follow to the letter the beauty

standards dictated by the media and the search for financial

success at any cost. I felt anguished many times, being pressured

to reach goals that had not even been set by me.

Freedom neither enslaves nor depresses. How could I consider

myself free when I felt in debt with myself, or paying a bill that

didn´t belong to me?

I began to understand what thoughts are and how they act in the

human mind. I realized that thoughts have a life of their own and

they act with autonomy over the will of the person who does not

Talita Franco – Uberlândia/MG

master them. I can perceive them; and every time, their reality

becomes more tangible, because they move within the mind

defining correct or incorrect attitudes.

I also began making notes of daily facts. For example, having

planned to study one night, I got home and turned on the TV,

totally forgetting my purpose to study. Other times, when the

reason wasn't forgetfulness, I experienced the battle between my

will and the power of an insistent thought, which led me to waste

time, energy and disposition.

Once, I set myself a purpose to help carry out a task that would

greatly embellish my home environment. However, such a task

demanded part of my free time on weekends. I clearly observed

the movements of the thoughts in my mind where a struggle

took place between the thoughts of goodness, dictated by my

purpose, and some other negative thoughts whose objective was

to crush the initiative. As I identified what went on, I was able

after some effort to fight against the latter and carry out the

proposed task. This simple experience brought deep joy to my

family and me. I felt very happy to have been able to act

according to my own will and for having done it consciously.

Every human being owes a part of himself to others: friends,

family, fellow workers, etc. Certainly then, adopting a more

tolerant attitude when dealing with others, yielding in this or that

circumstance, is a sign of good sense. Nevertheless, doing some-

thing just because everybody does it or not doing it due to the fear

of contradicting the general thought, is to merge into an anony-

mous mass, increasing the number of those who don´t think.

6564 Essays on Freedom

To be one's own boss

Page 67: Essays on Freedom

Born in a democratic country, in a period of freedom of

expression and respect for every human being's right to come

and go freely, I used to see the lack of freedom as something that

was part of old History books. Therefore, I had always I

believed I was free.

However, as time went by, something seemed to contradict this.

Later I understood that I had accepted this as a belief, or better

said, without thinking or reasoning. The reason is that during

my entire adolescence and also as a young woman, I was

influenced and involved by other peoples' ideas and thoughts,

among them the extreme effort to follow to the letter the beauty

standards dictated by the media and the search for financial

success at any cost. I felt anguished many times, being pressured

to reach goals that had not even been set by me.

Freedom neither enslaves nor depresses. How could I consider

myself free when I felt in debt with myself, or paying a bill that

didn´t belong to me?

I began to understand what thoughts are and how they act in the

human mind. I realized that thoughts have a life of their own and

they act with autonomy over the will of the person who does not

Talita Franco – Uberlândia/MG

master them. I can perceive them; and every time, their reality

becomes more tangible, because they move within the mind

defining correct or incorrect attitudes.

I also began making notes of daily facts. For example, having

planned to study one night, I got home and turned on the TV,

totally forgetting my purpose to study. Other times, when the

reason wasn't forgetfulness, I experienced the battle between my

will and the power of an insistent thought, which led me to waste

time, energy and disposition.

Once, I set myself a purpose to help carry out a task that would

greatly embellish my home environment. However, such a task

demanded part of my free time on weekends. I clearly observed

the movements of the thoughts in my mind where a struggle

took place between the thoughts of goodness, dictated by my

purpose, and some other negative thoughts whose objective was

to crush the initiative. As I identified what went on, I was able

after some effort to fight against the latter and carry out the

proposed task. This simple experience brought deep joy to my

family and me. I felt very happy to have been able to act

according to my own will and for having done it consciously.

Every human being owes a part of himself to others: friends,

family, fellow workers, etc. Certainly then, adopting a more

tolerant attitude when dealing with others, yielding in this or that

circumstance, is a sign of good sense. Nevertheless, doing some-

thing just because everybody does it or not doing it due to the fear

of contradicting the general thought, is to merge into an anony-

mous mass, increasing the number of those who don´t think.

6564 Essays on Freedom

To be one's own boss

Page 68: Essays on Freedom

The more man thinks the more he is his own master, and

consequently he becomes freer. The pleasant sensation of

being able to move my body in whichever space I choose is

as gratifying as the sublime emotion of belonging to myself.

In order to guide my steps and truly be my own boss, I must first

get to know and control these psychological forces called

thoughts. It is possible to select those I want, or those I don't

want as mental companions – in a way to only allow to remain in

my mind those that are useful and serve the purposes that I have

set for my life.

Destiny is forged by one's own hands. The difference is that

when the individual knows the mental reality that surrounds

him, he'll no longer be led blindly and, through efficient and

successful action, and he'll begin imprinting on his own a

powerful drive on the wheel of life.

One day I asked myself why I was so concerned about my

mistakes – since it was not always to correct them – and why was

I always excusing myself to people at the first sign of a faulty act -

and the answer came in an unusual way.

As I was walking down a busy street in São Paulo, I slipped and

stumbled over a hole I hadn´t noticed. I didn't fall. I regained

my balance and in a quick involuntary impulse, I glanced

around to check if anyone had witnessed the scene. That was

necessary for me to measure the shame I would feel.

— What a relief! No one had noticed!

Since nobody noticed it was as if nothing had happened and

that was what gave me great relief. But, why did I feel relieved? I

could have fallen down and hurt myself, right?

With an attentive mind, I realized that I was mostly concerned

about other peoples' opinions. If someone had seen me, he

would probably have laughed his heart out and I, or something

in me, definitively didn´t appreciate this idea.

The heart of the matter was not to have stumbled. This same

apprehension occurs with any mistake that I make, such as

Tatiana Maaze Janovitz – São Paulo/SP

6766 Essays on Freedom

A masquerade ball

Page 69: Essays on Freedom

The more man thinks the more he is his own master, and

consequently he becomes freer. The pleasant sensation of

being able to move my body in whichever space I choose is

as gratifying as the sublime emotion of belonging to myself.

In order to guide my steps and truly be my own boss, I must first

get to know and control these psychological forces called

thoughts. It is possible to select those I want, or those I don't

want as mental companions – in a way to only allow to remain in

my mind those that are useful and serve the purposes that I have

set for my life.

Destiny is forged by one's own hands. The difference is that

when the individual knows the mental reality that surrounds

him, he'll no longer be led blindly and, through efficient and

successful action, and he'll begin imprinting on his own a

powerful drive on the wheel of life.

One day I asked myself why I was so concerned about my

mistakes – since it was not always to correct them – and why was

I always excusing myself to people at the first sign of a faulty act -

and the answer came in an unusual way.

As I was walking down a busy street in São Paulo, I slipped and

stumbled over a hole I hadn´t noticed. I didn't fall. I regained

my balance and in a quick involuntary impulse, I glanced

around to check if anyone had witnessed the scene. That was

necessary for me to measure the shame I would feel.

— What a relief! No one had noticed!

Since nobody noticed it was as if nothing had happened and

that was what gave me great relief. But, why did I feel relieved? I

could have fallen down and hurt myself, right?

With an attentive mind, I realized that I was mostly concerned

about other peoples' opinions. If someone had seen me, he

would probably have laughed his heart out and I, or something

in me, definitively didn´t appreciate this idea.

The heart of the matter was not to have stumbled. This same

apprehension occurs with any mistake that I make, such as

Tatiana Maaze Janovitz – São Paulo/SP

6766 Essays on Freedom

A masquerade ball

Page 70: Essays on Freedom

being late, having an argument with someone or an

inappropriate behavior someplace. Well… any fault makes me

a captive of the old question: “What will others think of me?”

The reason is that inside of me something tells me: “Worse than

the act of making the mistake is to have someone witness it.”

But, let's think about it. Does this make any sense at all?

If I expected a visit and my room was a mess, I would quickly

bundle up all that was visible, thrusting everything into my

closet. In fact, it was the BEING — that sometimes makes

mistakes- versus the chains of the PRETENDING — that wants

to be invulnerable and perfect. The worst part is that the

PRETENDING prevents me from being the person I really

am, with the clear understanding of what I still need to improve

in myself.

More than once have I wondered who truly misses out when I

commit a blunder. In fact, other than being overly concerned

with appearances, I observed that I´ve been repeating certain

mistakes and actions for years, and I have done nothing to

change. If I am only concerned about correcting the mistakes

that affect others, to protect appearances, and if I avoid fixing the

ones that only hurt me, it is because I ignore the consequences

I understand that this position is related to wanting to be

seen in a way that in reality I am not. It is as if I wanted to

wear a mask to convey a good image to others, regardless of

what I truly do.

of each undesirable attitude, and those undermine my future

purposes and goals in life.

I felt I needed to be less indifferent to my mistakes; not blaming

myself but seeking the cause that led me to make them,

transforming this into the first step to getting it right. Nor can I

continue accepting my inner position that it is all right to repeat

the mistake saying, “That´s the way I am. I´m hopeless.”

Having discovered how to position myself regarding my

mistakes has freed me from the shackles of appearances, and

has contributed to the development of what I really want to be.

6968 Essays on Freedom

Page 71: Essays on Freedom

being late, having an argument with someone or an

inappropriate behavior someplace. Well… any fault makes me

a captive of the old question: “What will others think of me?”

The reason is that inside of me something tells me: “Worse than

the act of making the mistake is to have someone witness it.”

But, let's think about it. Does this make any sense at all?

If I expected a visit and my room was a mess, I would quickly

bundle up all that was visible, thrusting everything into my

closet. In fact, it was the BEING — that sometimes makes

mistakes- versus the chains of the PRETENDING — that wants

to be invulnerable and perfect. The worst part is that the

PRETENDING prevents me from being the person I really

am, with the clear understanding of what I still need to improve

in myself.

More than once have I wondered who truly misses out when I

commit a blunder. In fact, other than being overly concerned

with appearances, I observed that I´ve been repeating certain

mistakes and actions for years, and I have done nothing to

change. If I am only concerned about correcting the mistakes

that affect others, to protect appearances, and if I avoid fixing the

ones that only hurt me, it is because I ignore the consequences

I understand that this position is related to wanting to be

seen in a way that in reality I am not. It is as if I wanted to

wear a mask to convey a good image to others, regardless of

what I truly do.

of each undesirable attitude, and those undermine my future

purposes and goals in life.

I felt I needed to be less indifferent to my mistakes; not blaming

myself but seeking the cause that led me to make them,

transforming this into the first step to getting it right. Nor can I

continue accepting my inner position that it is all right to repeat

the mistake saying, “That´s the way I am. I´m hopeless.”

Having discovered how to position myself regarding my

mistakes has freed me from the shackles of appearances, and

has contributed to the development of what I really want to be.

6968 Essays on Freedom

Page 72: Essays on Freedom

What if today, with all the pomp and circumstance, I was

offered the freedom I have been dreaming of for so long? If I

was granted, free of charge, all the possibilities to become the

master of myself, to be free to worship, to express myself and

to acquire whatever I want ? What if today I could speak up,

act, and think freely? If by the end of the day I found myself as

the master of this wonderful possibility, would I be totally free?

Sometimes I am the queen of the situation. Facing a huge

chocolate cake when nobody is near except my intelligence,

that knows only too well what the limits of my body are, I find

myself free to do what I want. And usually, I eat until I think

that I will never again in my life want to face another

temptation like that. I satisfy my impulses to the point of not

wanting ever to be the master of this “freedom.” No, no! I can

do without that!

How many times was I granted the freedom of choice – be it of

a profession, or of somebody to be with and I made the wrong

decision or simply felt paralyzed by the number options

offered! How many times was I allowed to do what I wanted

and simply didn´t know what to do, or even worse, I chose to

do nothing! Knowing myself, I can assure you that even if all

Fernanda Rezende Mendonça – Goiânia/GO

the rules and conventions were abolished today, I would still be

a slave to my mind.

I live in a democratic country, in a well structured city, I

socialize with people from all walks of life, I have free access to

all the sources of technical and scientific knowledge, and I have

a family that teaches me everything I need to stand on my own

two feet. And in spite of that, I am not free.

I am learning that true freedom can´t be bestowed by anybody

but me. If we were to abolish all the social rules, it would

certainly create the greatest problem of all for us because the

current culture has not taught us to think freely, it hasn't taught

us to defend ourselves against the enemies of our objectives,

nor to be humble enough to understand that in order to

possess something, it is necessary to deserve it.

How enslaved we, young people, are by conventionalism and

by the thoughts of the masses! How fragile is our will power

I am a hostage to fear, I am afraid to make mistakes, of not

succeeding and of being frustrated. I am a hostage to

ignorance, to the lack of knowledge, to the difficulty in

knowing the path to take. I am a hostage to prejudices, to

refusing to learn, to having an inert mind. I a am hostage to

“what will others say?”, to conventions and to thoughts of

the masses. I am a hostage to inertia and to the lack of will

power. And finally, I am a hostage to a series of

psychological deficiencies that confuse me shooting down

my best objectives. In fact, I am a hostage to myself.

7170 Essays on Freedom

reedom to be free

Page 73: Essays on Freedom

What if today, with all the pomp and circumstance, I was

offered the freedom I have been dreaming of for so long? If I

was granted, free of charge, all the possibilities to become the

master of myself, to be free to worship, to express myself and

to acquire whatever I want ? What if today I could speak up,

act, and think freely? If by the end of the day I found myself as

the master of this wonderful possibility, would I be totally free?

Sometimes I am the queen of the situation. Facing a huge

chocolate cake when nobody is near except my intelligence,

that knows only too well what the limits of my body are, I find

myself free to do what I want. And usually, I eat until I think

that I will never again in my life want to face another

temptation like that. I satisfy my impulses to the point of not

wanting ever to be the master of this “freedom.” No, no! I can

do without that!

How many times was I granted the freedom of choice – be it of

a profession, or of somebody to be with and I made the wrong

decision or simply felt paralyzed by the number options

offered! How many times was I allowed to do what I wanted

and simply didn´t know what to do, or even worse, I chose to

do nothing! Knowing myself, I can assure you that even if all

Fernanda Rezende Mendonça – Goiânia/GO

the rules and conventions were abolished today, I would still be

a slave to my mind.

I live in a democratic country, in a well structured city, I

socialize with people from all walks of life, I have free access to

all the sources of technical and scientific knowledge, and I have

a family that teaches me everything I need to stand on my own

two feet. And in spite of that, I am not free.

I am learning that true freedom can´t be bestowed by anybody

but me. If we were to abolish all the social rules, it would

certainly create the greatest problem of all for us because the

current culture has not taught us to think freely, it hasn't taught

us to defend ourselves against the enemies of our objectives,

nor to be humble enough to understand that in order to

possess something, it is necessary to deserve it.

How enslaved we, young people, are by conventionalism and

by the thoughts of the masses! How fragile is our will power

I am a hostage to fear, I am afraid to make mistakes, of not

succeeding and of being frustrated. I am a hostage to

ignorance, to the lack of knowledge, to the difficulty in

knowing the path to take. I am a hostage to prejudices, to

refusing to learn, to having an inert mind. I a am hostage to

“what will others say?”, to conventions and to thoughts of

the masses. I am a hostage to inertia and to the lack of will

power. And finally, I am a hostage to a series of

psychological deficiencies that confuse me shooting down

my best objectives. In fact, I am a hostage to myself.

7170 Essays on Freedom

reedom to be free

Page 74: Essays on Freedom

when faced with the opinion of other people who are

sometimes as unprepared as we are to pass judgments! How

unprotected are our minds when facing the numerous stimuli

from diverse sources! One needs to be truly brave to be really

different, in a society that imposes concepts laden with

violence as well as with subtleties.

One needs a lot of knowledge to possess true freedom, the

knowledge that bestows upon us the possibility to live

peacefully amongst our fellowmen and to evolve without

breaking the main laws, i.e. the Laws of Creation. First, it is

necessary for me to learn how to use my intelligence, so that

later I can aspire to be free to think. I must learn to want with

my conscience so that I can be free to do what I want. It is

necessary to know clearly where am I heading and why, so that

I can then follow my path. And finally it is necessary to have a

lot of courage to accept the responsibility of being free in order

to be worthy of conducting my life the way my conscience

indicates.

Freedom, which is a natural prerogative of the human

being, must not be sought due to a whim, but with the

knowledge of its true meaning and of the marvelous

possibilities that it offers when it is used towards the

individual self-betterment and for the good of mankind!

This is true freedom!

72

Page 75: Essays on Freedom

when faced with the opinion of other people who are

sometimes as unprepared as we are to pass judgments! How

unprotected are our minds when facing the numerous stimuli

from diverse sources! One needs to be truly brave to be really

different, in a society that imposes concepts laden with

violence as well as with subtleties.

One needs a lot of knowledge to possess true freedom, the

knowledge that bestows upon us the possibility to live

peacefully amongst our fellowmen and to evolve without

breaking the main laws, i.e. the Laws of Creation. First, it is

necessary for me to learn how to use my intelligence, so that

later I can aspire to be free to think. I must learn to want with

my conscience so that I can be free to do what I want. It is

necessary to know clearly where am I heading and why, so that

I can then follow my path. And finally it is necessary to have a

lot of courage to accept the responsibility of being free in order

to be worthy of conducting my life the way my conscience

indicates.

Freedom, which is a natural prerogative of the human

being, must not be sought due to a whim, but with the

knowledge of its true meaning and of the marvelous

possibilities that it offers when it is used towards the

individual self-betterment and for the good of mankind!

This is true freedom!

72

Page 76: Essays on Freedom

The Logosophical Foundation – For self-betterment –

is a private institution created to make an ample

diffusion of the logosophical cognitions possible. Its

worthy actions in man's benefit have earned

recognition as a public service Institution by the

Governments in the countries where its Student

Centers are located. A vast number of lectures,

presentations to small groups and courses on topics of

interest have contributed to spread the objectives, the

method and the contents of the logosophical science.

More information about Logosophy and the

Logosophical Foundation at www.logosophy.info.

Created in 1930 by the thinker and humanist

Carlos Bernardo González Pecotche, Logosophy

is a science that reveals to the human being a new

way of feeling and conceiving life in every one of

its aspects: the physical, the psychological and the

spiritual. Logosophy expands the contents of the

currently used words revealing their metaphysical

content and presenting a new conception of God,

of His Laws, of man and of the Universe. It leads

man to self-knowledge and offers the means to

fight against the deficiencies and flaws that

prevent him or make it more difficult to improve

his inner world, which will occur as a result of the

individual effort.

What is Logosophy? The Logosophical oundation

Page 77: Essays on Freedom

The Logosophical Foundation – For self-betterment –

is a private institution created to make an ample

diffusion of the logosophical cognitions possible. Its

worthy actions in man's benefit have earned

recognition as a public service Institution by the

Governments in the countries where its Student

Centers are located. A vast number of lectures,

presentations to small groups and courses on topics of

interest have contributed to spread the objectives, the

method and the contents of the logosophical science.

More information about Logosophy and the

Logosophical Foundation at www.logosophy.info.

Created in 1930 by the thinker and humanist

Carlos Bernardo González Pecotche, Logosophy

is a science that reveals to the human being a new

way of feeling and conceiving life in every one of

its aspects: the physical, the psychological and the

spiritual. Logosophy expands the contents of the

currently used words revealing their metaphysical

content and presenting a new conception of God,

of His Laws, of man and of the Universe. It leads

man to self-knowledge and offers the means to

fight against the deficiencies and flaws that

prevent him or make it more difficult to improve

his inner world, which will occur as a result of the

individual effort.

What is Logosophy? The Logosophical oundation

Page 78: Essays on Freedom

-

A publication of the

Logosophical

Foundation in

Belo Horizonte,

Brazil

A collection of articles

written by young

Logosophy

students from

different

cities in Brazil

Page 79: Essays on Freedom

-

A publication of the

Logosophical

Foundation in

Belo Horizonte,

Brazil

A collection of articles

written by young

Logosophy

students from

different

cities in Brazil

Page 80: Essays on Freedom

E s s a y s o n F r e e d o m

presents, through different points

of view, a number of episodes

from young people´s life. It

describes the struggle of various

individuals against the implacable

power that the thoughts exert over

our life, showing that it is possible

to get to know and dominate them,

by selecting those that allow us to

experience true freedom: the

freedom that emerges from within.