Direct action for freedom
This posting is based on information in the book “How I Found Freedom in an Unfree World” by Harry Browne (which I highly recommend).
Browne’s book is about what we can do to immediately gain freedom and overcome obstacles to our own growth. The major obstacles are not political, but cultural – we are conditioned to think in ways that unintentionally limit our own freedom.
Browne states that direct action is always more effective, quicker and less personally draining than indirect action. For example, if you are faced with a society that has heavy taxation, punitive regulation, seizure of property and repression, indirect action would be to organise a protest march, write letters to politicians and take legal action based on the constitution of your country and laws.
In this case, you probably would attract the attention of The System that you are attempting to overcome, and it would turn its might towards you to crush dissent. In any case, you are relying on the sense of fair play of others – and that is always risky. Even if you win, it will be at immense personal and financial cost.
In this example, the direct response is to simply pack your bags and find somewhere better to live.
In the case of privacy, you can lobby for new laws, which may or may not work (indirect), or you can remove your details from public view (direct). If your job doesn’t pay well and your boss won’t address the issue, you can complain to your HR department for a 3% wage increase (indirect), or go elsewhere where you will be more appreciated (direct).
In the case of indirect action, you are not using your own authority over your own life, you are relying on someone else to do something. With direct action, you are taking responsibility for your life into your own hands. This is what a self actualized person will do.
Tags: harry browne, politics, Self-actualization, the system
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