Internal Freedom- An eternal mess

Our Constitution gives all of the citizens of our country the right to freedom of speech, thought, expression, etc. However, when people today talk about the lack of freedom, they mostly refer to the lack of freedom or the perceived lack of freedom due to restriction by certain institutions, which may be doing so or have done so to protect our own interests.

Almost nobody, perhaps except the feminine brethren, addresses the lack of freedom and restrictions in our lives, from the inside, that is, inside the society we live in.

Now what freedom might I be referring to? Well, simply put, it is the freedom to dress, the freedom to be, and the freedom to exist as we are, without having to think twice, for things which grow naturally, grow the best!

And what is more noteworthy is that most of these restrictions spring from the unspoken but still evident expectations that are foisted upon us. Of course, whereas succumbing to them remains a personal choice, the truth is that, most folks do, and it is for them that this writer is expressing these sentiments.

Such as, if a festival happens to be going on, and if somebody chooses not to go down or celebrate the festival in their own way, the silent judgment one receives is quite obvious. Then again, if somebody, despite having a car/bike/scooter chooses to use public transport for commuting, then again unfair/unkind judgments are passed without knowing the truth or the reason behind the affair.

One of the most obvious and widespread examples of this is a married couple, who, let us say, have been happily married for quite a few years, and are yet childless.

What does society do? It starts taunting them, commenting upon their lack of children, and marital condition and gradually starts chipping away at their self-esteem, which leads to discord within the aforesaid parties.

There are numerous other examples, which essentially prove that despite our Constitution granting us certain freedoms, the truth remains that, unless a conscious effort is made, our internal freedom will remain an eternal mess.