Jurnalul fericirii

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1. 01

   Steinhardt redefines freedom as independence from external and internal constraints, not as mere arbitrary choice.

   Jurnalul fericirii · 1991

   Steinhardt writes from a communist prison, where he directly experienced the lack of freedom. He observes that doing what you want is often an illusion, because our desires are shaped by society and instincts. True freedom is being able to say no, not being a slave to your own impulses or social pressure. For example, a person who refuses an immoral promotion, even though they want the money, is freer than one who accepts anything for gain. In his cell, Steinhardt discovered he could refuse to hate or fear, and that was his real freedom.

   “Freedom is not the ability to do what you want, but the ability not to do what you do not want.”

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