An amusing muse this morning … inspired by a conversation I had with a fellow writer about education and freedom and leadership and ‘building bridges’ …
“Everyone wants freedom; but freedom brings responsibility and people are frightened of responsibility.” (Sigmund Freud).
I’m not saying Sigmund Freud was right, but this now familiar quote was apparently his observation/deduction, and it does seem to me to have a ring of truth about it. We really do not like responsibility!
We are all autonomous individuals, free to do and say most things – within reason and the law.
We all lead our own lives.
We all perhaps have someone who ‘follows’ our lead …
We used to play a game when I was growing up called ‘follow my leader’ and we had to do exactly as the ‘leader’ did … hop … skip … jump … go in one door and out the other .. climb the wall … go over the bridge … it was fun game!
We loved it when it was our turn to be the leader!
Until someone tripped and fell … or was ‘given out to’ … or laughed at … and started crying … and then blamed the leader for their misery!
What’s changed?
“We are free to choose but we are not free from the consequences of our choices”.
Seems we don’t like that.
We’re all free to lead ..
We’re all free to follow ..
We’re all free to ask directions ..
We’re all free to ask people to follow us ..
We’re all free to accept ..
We’re all free to decline ..
Seems we just prefer to blame the person who asked us to choose but ‘gave us no choice’ ..!
Who makes us choose?
Freedom ‘aint worth nothin’ but it’s free!
It’s the consequences that are pricey!
Who hasn’t been ‘led up the garden path’ on more than one occasion .. by the promise of flowers?
And who hasn’t delivered on the promise of flowers?
Mmmm…..
