Freedom and Responsibility

  Freedom and Responsibility

           Looking down from the top of a mountain a beautiful green lake with breathtaking views

  There is a vital relationship between freedom and responsibility. Freedom is a privilege and divine gift on the condition that it is accompanied by the required sense of responsibility. Historically, freedom has been a hard-fought right that enables man to speak, think and exert his will as he deems it correct. Freedom or free will is the most important expression of human action and endeavor. Those values and particularly the sense of responsibility are we supposed to learn within the family unit and also in school and should be a part of education. However, this is highly questionable. 

Looking at our society today we observe that there are a lot of issues and problems associated with the lack and misapplication of those human values. Freedom functions within a frame of action that requires respect and compassion towards our fellow man. Responsibility is the sense of duty one has to cultivate in order to act within the sphere of freedom and good will. “Αs human beings, we are endowed with freedom of choice, and we cannot shuffle off our respsnsibility upon the shoulders of God or nature. We must shoulder it ourselves. It is our responsibility."--Arnold J.Toynbee.   Society suffers when people do not fulfill their portion of responsibility and act in a way that violates other people’s rights.  

We can rejoice that we were born in an era in which humankind has made incredible progress in terms of freedom and human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a groundbreaking declaration for the establishment of human rights which includes the right to life, freedom of speech and religion, the rights to health and education, the right to a fair trial, freedom from torture and any other inhuman or cruel treatment and the assurance that fundamental human rights will be universally protected. So far, the fundamental human rights have also been adopted and are enshrined in the most modern democracies around the world and now constitute a safe frame for the all citizens world-wide. “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home – so close and so small that they cannot be seen on any maps of the world. … Unless these rights have meaning there, they have little meaning anywhere. Without concerned citizen action to uphold them close to home, we shall look in vain for progress in the larger world.” – Eleanor Roosevelt 

Since freedom is not to be taken for granted, given that in the course of history many autocratic regimes around the world have been suppressing their subjects out of fear to lose their supremacy, we ought to be aware of its value and sustaining. Any abuse of freedom leaves behind a sense of failure to abide by the principles enshrined in all democracies and in the United Nations resolutions which were officially established after a very long time of historical struggles and wars. Our historic failure lies in the fact that humankind whatsoever fails to fulfill their responsibility and the result in no other than a setback and regression instead of progress and advancement. “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” - Winston Churchill.  Usually, we feel good when other people fulfill their responsibility but the essence of responsibility is not passive but active. It is definitely a great challenge that is painful because it needs effort and involvement and it requires to get you out of your comfort zone.   “If you believe that it is someone else's responsibility to fix whatever needs fixing, you remain part of the problem, and, therefore, just a culpable as everyone else who believes someone else should shoulder the burden of initiating change”. - Byron Pulsifer 

Therefore, “ You cannot to cross a river without getting wet” and “you cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs” (proverbs) in terms of fulfilling responsibility. It is wrong to perceive responsibility as a burden. It is rather a rewarding challenge because it brings fulfilment and joy as well as a sense of achievement to those who succeed in responding to it.