Articles

Today, I want to explore the concept of freedom—true freedom. The idea of being 'Unlimited' inherently suggests a state of complete liberty. But what does it really mean to be free? Are there degrees to freedom? And, fundamentally, is anyone truly free?

Let's start with a thought experiment—a fictional, yet lifelike story with intriguing characters.

So.. the story of freedom

Kvi the Mink lives in a small, cramped cage on a fur farm. Though physically confined, Kvi is mentally active, playing with a small pebble as a way to express its natural curiosity and desire to roam. Its world is just a few square centimeters of cold metal; its only glimpse of the outside is through a crack in the wall. Kvi watches humans move freely under the sky and longs for that kind of freedom—a total contrast to its own life.

Alex lives in a regime that effectively practices modern-day slavery. He spends his nights locked in a small, cold cell and his days working hard in the mines, under constant watch and control. The little food and water he gets are just enough to keep him going for the tough work required of him. Seeing the guards and occasional outsiders walking freely, Alex sees a freedom he can't have, a sharp reminder of his confined life. Despite his difficult circumstances, he keeps a quiet hope for a life beyond his chains.

Anna lives under a strict regime that closely watches and controls its citizens. She works at a local library, where all the books and media are censored to prevent any dissent. Every day, she is surrounded by state propaganda, and eyes that constantly watch over her. At home, Anna has secretly collected foreign books, providing her a glimpse into worlds where freedom is real, not just an imagined luxury. Though she lives in safer conditions than Alex, who endures severe labor, the restrictions on her life are heavy. She dreams of a future where she can live freely, far from the oppressive control of her government.

Ben lives in a country where he is technically free, but his daily reality is defined by struggle. As a father of four, he tirelessly works two jobs to scrape together just enough to feed his family. Despite his freedom to travel, the stark reality of his empty wallet makes such dreams laughable. His house needs constant repairs, healthcare for his kids is a financial burden, and even basic necessities feel like luxuries. As he watches the lives of people in wealthier nations, he wonders about the true nature of freedom. To him, it seems that real freedom means having the means to provide for his family without constant fear and deprivation.

Anthony enjoys a good standard of living with a decent job and a comfortable home, and he can afford to go on vacations once a year. Yet, he craves more—things like a luxury sports car, a mansion with a swimming pool, and vacations to exclusive places like private islands. His life is good, but his desire for more makes him feel limited, as he sees people in richer countries achieving what he can only dream of. Family and social ties prevent him from moving abroad, which makes him feel stuck.

Alice enjoys a lavish lifestyle in a wealthy country, driving a luxury car and living in an upscale house with all the comforts imaginable. She travels to exclusive destinations, supported by her successful career and government benefits. Despite these luxuries, Alice often dreams about immortal aliens who endlessly explore the universe, discovering new wonders every day without limits. The idea that her life, with all its freedoms, is still bound by a finite lifespan makes her feel deeply limited. In her view, the endless possibilities of these aliens sharply contrast with her own eventual end, making her feel as confined as Kvi the Mink, physically trapped in its small cage. 

End!

Analysis

The circumstances of Kvi and Alex represent extreme cases of total freedom deprivation. Their situations are so clearly oppressive that they require no further elaboration.

Anna’s situation is a middle ground between the extremes of Alex’s total lack of freedom and Ben’s financial struggles. Both Anna and Ben, especially Ben, would benefit from accepting their circumstances as they are, appreciating what they have, and striving for improvement. This is essentially all they can do. While frustration with their situations can provide a powerful motivation to make changes, it can also be destructive. It might cause them to overlook life's small joys, potentially leading to depression and inaction.

Anthony is relatively well-off compared to others, but he struggles with significant life skills. He hasn't fully explored his own values or understood how the world operates. He believes that freedom is tied to possessions and wealth, which at this time are actually more of an obstacle to his true freedom. It’s possible that he understands these concepts but rejects the idea of absolute freedom, fearing he might miss out on happiness derived from material wealth. However, this viewpoint just suggests a deeper issue with life skills, which will be addressed later in this article.
On a simpler note, happiness isn't that complex. It truly originates from within. We have our sensors—sight (colors), touch, smell, and hearing—which are processed and conditioned by our body-brain system, creating sensations from within. This conditioning influences how we perceive and react to our experiences, shaping our internal sense of happiness. Feeling joy from a hike in the woods or owning a Bugatti essentially taps into the same internal mechanisms, although the second may demand much greater effort and use significant resources from the environment.
In the future, scientists might develop a 'happiness pill' that safely and effectively induces these feelings, bypassing external stimulants like alcohol or drugs. If such a pill were available, should we take it? For Anthony, trying it might help him realize that happiness depends on ongoing internal conditioning, not external possessions. This conditioning can be transformed through education, enhanced intelligence, and mindfulness practices

The concluding segment of our story is particularly intriguing. Despite Alice having everything one might want from a conventional standpoint, she remains fascinated by the life of these imagined aliens and feels trapped in her own life. This leads to a profound realization: a person’s sense of freedom—and consequently happiness—is deeply influenced by their expectations, knowledge, and imagination. Learning about others who live more freely elevates our own standards, and even vividly imagining a less restricted life can have the same effect. In our story, every character, including Alice, looks to someone or something that represents greater freedom, resulting in a universal lack of freedom for all.

This story, while fictional, mirrors real-life experiences from both the past and present. Many of you, the readers, may recognize someone like Ben, Anthony, or others from your own lives in these characters. I certainly do.

How can we make use of these realizations?

Should we all just work on ourselves to lower our expectations to feel more free and happy, or wait for doctors to develop a 'Happiness Pill'? No! We should absolutely aim for greater things and absolute freedom, and even imagine beyond what is currently possible, striving to move towards it at any pace possible. We deeply resonate with Alice's dreams and her feelings of still not being truly free, despite her significant advantages. This connection holds even though most of us are in far less favorable situations, demonstrating that concerns about freedom and life's limitations transcend economic and social boundaries. The process of working on ourselves should primarily involve developing a deeper understanding of ourselves and the universe. This leads us to recognize and let go of things we don’t realize we don’t really need right now, and helps us remain calm and content where we are, laying the groundwork for logical steps toward achieving true and lasting freedom.

The truth is, time inevitably brings change. In our story, animal rights could strengthen, potentially leading to Kvi’s freedom. Similarly, slavery and poverty in Alex’s country might end due to a revolution or a shift in the leaders' perspectives. Positive changes may also be on the horizon for Ben. Even Alice might achieve a form of immortality through advancements in technology and human evolution. The prospect of a better life is always 'just around the corner,' and experiencing good times after bad ones still feels great. However, the real challenge is that such transformations require a lot of time—a time that the characters in our story, and perhaps we ourselves, may not have. This brings us to the root of a significant barrier to true freedom: the lack of time. Even in the best scenarios, with all the riches and adventures currently available to humans like Alice, aging currently is inevitable. We’re still running out of time, always on the brink of missing out on new possibilities and adventures of tomorrow. The older version of yourself will still be you, living in the present moment like now, just with more memories to reflect on and a very real expiration date from the doctor. 

At its core, a finite life of an individual is inherently meaningless (a topic we'll explore in depth in our upcoming mini-book, challenging prevalent but contradictory 'wisdom' in today's information landscape). Currently, the only way humanity can collectively find meaning and hope for something greater and lasting is through the survival and continuity of our species, which represents a sort of infinite existence. This requires us to pass on resources, technology, knowledge, and love to the next generations, who face the same fate as the cycle repeats (most people never really ask why!). Whether we experience moments of happiness, such as those enjoyed by Alice, or endure hardships akin to Alex's, they all ultimately amount to experiences and memories for existing beings. Non-existence, on the other hand, is simply nothingness. Once you cross the line of existence, your personal meaning and freedom cease to exist. Moreover, amidst the uncertainties and looming threats such as global warming, the specter of nuclear war, and nearby asteroids, the fate of humanity itself remains uncertain.

“I tried so hard and got so far But in the end it doesn't even matter, I had to fall to lose it all But in the end it doesn't even matter” © Linkin Park
“All That You Love Will Be Eviscerated” © Ben Frost

So, do we, at Unlimited View, truly feel free? Is anyone on this planet genuinely free? Absolutely not. We are bound by the constraints of our short lifespans, fleeting moments in the universe's vast expanse. In many ways, we are confined to living within certain boundaries, surrendering our personal meaning and relatively quickly passing away, missing out on the wonders and adventures of the future. There is no choice in this at this time being, so we struggle to seize as many experiences as possible during our limited time. The relentless force of entropy, like a serial killer, dictates our fate, subjecting us to the worst and ultimately ending our experiences. Being infinite is actually condition number one for true freedom; other conditions may come true with time and change.

Do we at Unlimited View aim for true unlimited freedom?

Absolutely, and for everybody - past, present, and future! But achieving this requires a global shift in mindset.

So, what does Unlimited View recommend to reach this goal? What is this logical order mentioned earlier?

1. The first step involves cultivating mindfulness and nurturing one's emotional, social, and logical intelligence. It's essential to develop a foundational understanding of today's scientific knowledge and use it as a tool to comprehend oneself and the world (Helping with that is one of the core missions of the Unlimited View project). Unlike most animals, humans possess the potential for such growth, making it our responsibility to pursue it. This approach not only streamlines our focus but also redirects our efforts away from unproductive pursuits, such as the various gods we've invented throughout history. Perhaps, through scientific discoveries, we might uncover a True higher intelligence or a creator, if one exists.
2. Once we've established a basic understanding of ourselves and the universe - why we're drawn to certain things, why we behave in certain ways, and why events occur around us - we're empowered to make wiser decisions in life. This includes, of course, also simply enjoying ourselves and cherishing happy moments, but in a manner that respects the Earth's finite resources, which sustain our existence in the first place. And in a manner where we do not compulsively pursue things we may not actually need for desired outcomes, such as fleeting pleasures. It's crucial to make rational and intelligent choices for significant life decisions, because this ability to prioritize rationality over emotional impulses consistently yields long-term benefits and elevates society to a higher level. 
3. We focus our strengths and resources on endeavors that are both meaningful and enduring, thereby accelerating advancements in technology and science. These fields are crucial for deepening our understanding of both ourselves and the universe. Currently, we are making progress, but there is potential for much greater achievements that are also safer. We remain vulnerable to numerous diseases, some ancient and others linked to aging, which continue to claim lives prematurely, well before reaching the ideal lifespan. Our grasp of quantum physics, gravity, and black holes is still incomplete, and our energy solutions remain heavily reliant on petroleum. Moreover, the exploitation of billions of sentient animals for food highlights significant ethical and sustainability issues. We could and should do way better by now. We need to prioritize improvements and responsibly accelerate progress. For example, instead of investing in humanoid robots and AI designed merely for entertainment, we should develop technologies that address and solve critical problems at their root. Together, we have the opportunity to unlock a future of unlimited potential and true freedom, beyond our strict timelines and other conditions.

This all might sound like sci-fi nonsense to you, and that's okay. Just remember:

• Jules Verne wrote about large submarines before they were actually invented. 
• The U.S. military has developed jetpacks for soldiers, a concept that has been featured in movies for decades.
• 'Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited, whereas imagination embraces the entire world, stimulating progress, giving birth to evolution.' © Albert Einstein
• We have robots capable of performing important and dangerous tasks traditionally done by humans, and language models like ChatGPT that can outperform humans in many intelligent tasks and aid in education.
• The sci-fi of today is the reality of tomorrow.

For more on how UW plans to progress towards the Unlimited, look out for our upcoming mini-book. Rest assured, it will be 100% free—always. We aren’t selling anything here, except the idea and hope for a limitless future.