At NAMS8 (Niche Affiliate Marketing Systems), I sat down with three colleagues, and they asked me what I’m passionate about. I started talking about my new book (Light the World: How Your Brilliance Can Shift the Planet) and my vision for a free society.
One of my colleagues asked me, “What does freedom look like?” I rattled off an answer, but I knew it wasn’t clear enough. Her question remained with me into the night and to the next morning. This is the answer that came …
Force = Resentment = Hate = War = Poverty
Freedom = Voluntary Service = Love = Peace = Prosperity
In the video I say that if you don’t feel you have the right to come into someone’s home and force your beliefs, views, or yourself upon that person, then you don’t have the right to convey to government the right to do it for you. This principle is best explained in Frederic Bastiat’s The Law: The Classic Blueprint For A Free Society.
>I will say that some people DO feel they have a right to go into someone’s home and impose their beliefs, views, and/or themselves on others.
Personally, I believe there is very little I have a right to impose on others, unless they are taking away someone else’s right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. As such, it is important for me to live in alignment with that belief. Others may see things differently. Each person must determine this “line” for themselves. BUT, please do know that anytime you use force to impose your beliefs, views or yourself on another person, you WILL breed resentment. When you pick up one side of the stick, you automatically lift the other.
Marnie, I think you’ve hit on some important concepts. A related thing to Force that generates violence is having no choices, feeling trapped. So often violent societies have some element in those societies (often unemployed and desperate young men) who feel hopeless and trapped in their circumstances. Perhaps the loving way to foster freedom is to seek ways to give people more options…to give them hope.
Thank you too for the biblical references and reminders. God did give us the freedom to choose, and while this freedom, when abused, leads to heartache and death, it can also lead to great happiness in His service.
Interesting TED talk this week from someone who has studied war and peace most of her life: http://bit.ly/NkzADY
I love the idea of resentment stemming from force. That’s a great litmus test to see if what we’re doing is forcing others or offering something to them freely. Where it can get muddy at times is when people see our invitation as FORCE and feel resentment even though we meant it as a free invitation! (This, I believe, stems from a victim mentality – people being so used to not taking accountability that they see everything as force).
Thank you so much for this video, Marnie. I’m looking forward to finishing the book (about halfway through!).
PS Your yard is beautiful!