La Libertad! (Freedom)

July 28, 2021 Sociocultural Issues No Comments

Grand ideals are never enough. Many utopias fail. Not the ideals are to blame, but the lack of embeddedness and further support. The ideal of freedom is no exception.

Being in a Simón Bolívar mood.

This is not just a fickle blog. The lesson is profound. It’s interesting to look at the life of some grand historical figure, if only as a reminder that such figures were also just human beings.

To me, the being even more human than the average – always with highs and lows – is the hallmark of their greatness.

Simón Bolívar (1783-1830)

Simón, nicknamed El Libertador, was and still is – posthumously, of course – a very charismatic figure, including, hm, to the ladies. He was also a tragic figure, trampled upon, destitute, exiled several times, almost murdered. Most of all, he felt betrayed by the people for whom he had wanted to accomplish so much.

He was born the wealthiest person in Venezuela. In the end, planning to go in deliberate exile to Europe, he died almost penniless of tuberculosis ― by the way, a pretty psychosomatic condition. [see: “Tuberculosis and the Mind“]

He strove for the independence (la Libertad!) of Venezuela, afterward for the whole of Spanish-speaking South America, from the Spanish crown. He succeeded, but he left almost the whole continent in shatters through many wars and civil uprisings. Still, he is memorized as one of the greatest heroes, now possibly more than ever.

Freedom, one of AURELIS five core values

This starts from deep inside. [see: “Five Aurelian Values“]

The goal is Inner Strength. Individual freedom towards individual Inner Strength. [see: “Inner Strength“] Also, social freedom towards social Inner Strength.

Freedom for the people!

Absolutely. Freedom from any oppressor is a fundamental right of any people. In this sense, I am entirely Bolívarian.

But this too should start from inside. Unfortunately, Simón – although a cultivated man – did not have this insight, or did not heed it well enough.

Symbolic freedom

People join a cause individually. To each individual, ‘freedom’ (la Libertad!) can have profound meaningfulness. The latter is always symbolic.

Being very charismatic, Simón knew how to kindle this. It was probably the biggest of his many assets. He could galvanize.

That may also have been the main problem. If he wasn’t around, people tended to get de-galvanized. Without the symbol, freedom became more ego-oriented. This ends in wanting to do whatever one is wanting to do.

No Simón, no Compassion.

Boundless atrocities came in place of this. After years, even by himself in retaliation.

Simón lived long enough to see the ruins and poverty, the hopelessness and still endless fights… the lack of Compassion.

The lesson

Without Compassion, even the grand ideal of freedom (la Libertad!) is not going to bring heaven on earth.

Compassion may be the most challenging yet crucial asset of humanity, the environment necessary for enabling true freedom ― also towards lasting democracy.

Let’s go for it.