An Inquiry: What are Joy and Freedom?
At the core of our existence, joy, and freedom resonate as essential qualities of the soul, intrinsic to our human nature. They are not merely abstract concepts but lived experiences that define the essence of our being. Joy, a profound state of delight and contentment, and freedom, the ability to live in alignment with our true nature, are inborn desires that drive much of human pursuit. But what do these words truly mean, and how have they shaped our history and present moment?
Etymology of Joy and Freedom
The word joy has its roots in the Latin “Gaudium,” stemming from the Proto-Indo-European root gau-, meaning “to rejoice.” This evolution—from “gaudium” to the Old French “joie” and into the Middle English “joye”—reflects the enduring human inclination to find delight in existence, a universal desire to experience the lightness of being.
On the other hand, freedom comes from Old English “freodom,” where “freo” signifies “free” and “-dom” denotes a state or condition. Interestingly, “freo” is derived from the Proto-Germanic frijaz, linked to the Proto-Indo-European root pri- meaning “to love.” Thus, freedom’s etymology hints at a deep connection between being free and being cherished or beloved—a state where one’s existence is honored and unrestricted.
These etymologies illuminate how joy and freedom have long been integral to human consciousness. Each word carries with it a rich history of meaning and significance. They have shaped language and profoundly influenced how we understand ourselves and our place in the world.
The Evolution of Joy and Freedom: Then and Now
Fast forward to today, and we see joy and freedom framed within the context of individual rights, personal autonomy, and social justice. Modern political discourse often connects joy with collective well-being, suggesting that true joy arises when communities are liberated from oppression and express their identities freely. Freedom has become a contested concept, invoked to justify various agendas—from advocating for economic deregulation to championing civil liberties and human rights.
But how did we arrive here? When the framers of the U.S. Constitution enshrined the pursuit of happiness as a right, they were not speaking of joy as mere personal satisfaction. Influenced by Enlightenment thinkers like John Locke, they envisioned happiness as the pursuit of virtuous living, deeply intertwined with the common good. In this sense, joy was a byproduct of living a life aligned with moral and civic responsibility.
Similarly, as the framers of the Constitution understood it, freedom was not about unchecked individualism but collective self-governance. Freedom was seen as liberation from tyranny and the ability to participate in the democratic process, where each citizen had a role in shaping the society they inhabited. It was less about personal autonomy in the modern sense and more about the shared responsibility to protect and sustain a system of governance that upheld liberty and justice for all.
However, as generations of Americans have grown up in relatively free societies, the direct experience of fighting for these rights has become more distant. This distance has diminished appreciation for the complexities of maintaining a democratic system. The focus has shifted towards protecting and expanding personal freedoms, sometimes at the expense of communal responsibility and self-governance.
The American frontier once offered vast, unclaimed spaces where rugged individualism could flourish. It was a landscape symbolizing boundless freedom, where everyone could carve out their destiny with little interference. However, that frontier is now settled, and we live in interconnected communities. Our understanding of independence and freedom must evolve to reflect this reality. “Living free within community” challenges us to reimagine freedom not as isolation or self-reliance alone but as the ability to thrive together, respecting and supporting one another within community bonds.
A Call to Reawaken Joy and Freedom
So, where do we go from here? How do we reconcile the deep, intrinsic desires for joy and freedom with the complexities of modern society? It may begin with recognizing that joy and freedom are concepts to be understood and experiences to be lived. They are states of being calling us to engage fully with life and honor our individuality and interconnectedness.
It is time to reawaken to the profound significance of joy and freedom, not just as personal pursuits but as collective endeavors that require our active participation. Let us not take these gifts for granted, for they are the foundation of a life well-lived and a society worth sustaining.
Today’s political landscape often reduces freedom to mere individual choice—a difficult narrowing that risks losing sight of freedom’s deeper essence. As Joni Mitchell poignantly noted, “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” True freedom transcends personal autonomy, a collective endeavor, and a delicate balance between individual liberties and the common good. When freedom is understood only as the right to act independently, we may forget that it also demands responsibility, mutual respect, and a commitment to justice. This contemplation urges us to remember that freedom’s value lies not just in what we gain but in what we protect together.
A Diamond Approach Perspective on Joy and Freedom
In the Diamond Approach®, joy is understood as a natural expression of the soul when it aligns with its true essence. It’s a deep, abiding contentment that arises not from external circumstances but from the experience of being fully present and open to the truth. This joy reflects the soul’s intrinsic nature, a state of being that emerges from living authentically.
Joy is the most fragile of essential qualities in terms of disruption. Any whiff of ego activity and essential joy disappears. This is because joy is intrinsic to our real self and a natural expression of the real self. The ego-self blocks joy in its essential form.
Freedom is the ability to express and live from one’s true self, free from ego and societal conditioning constraints. It’s the state of being where the soul operates from its pure essence, unrestricted by fears, desires, or external pressures. Freedom is seen as a dynamic, creative force that allows the individual to engage with life in a way that is fully aligned with their deepest truth.
Freedom is generally considered “freedom from” or “freedom to.”
Freedom from fear, freedom to embrace life with courage.
- Freedom from judgment, freedom to express your true self.
- Freedom from attachment, freedom to experience true love.
- Freedom from limiting beliefs, freedom to explore infinite possibilities.
- Freedom from external pressures, freedom to live authentically.
However, freedom is elusive in terms of conceptualization. Though we know it, we cannot define it. Knowing freedom is experiential and phenomenological. Conceptualizations of freedom cannot capture the freedom of freedom. Freedom is so free that it is beyond words.
Yet freedom is vital in a worldly sense. It is one of the most cherished human ideals, a fundamental longing in the human soul.
The intertwining of joy and freedom creates a tapestry of human experience where the soul, unburdened by constraints, dances in the radiant light of its true nature, illuminating the path to a life lived with profound authenticity and boundless exuberance.