Fear of freedom

The title of this blog is actually the title of the British version of Erich Fromm's classic study, Escape from Freedom. I have never really figured out why different titles are necessary, but I'm not giving it much thought either. His thesis – and I have to say I think he argues it rather convincingly – is that we moderns (at any rate) are simply afraid of being free. The first chance we get, we'll give it up to anyone who promises or appears to promise us a little safety and certainty in exchange.

Oh, I hear the murmuring in the crowd and in some corners of the audience the downright outrage brewing. But I'm sticking with this one. I think he's onto something. The problem ... well, one of the problems: life in the modern world. Think about it for a moment: how secure are you in your job, your relationship or marriage, your finances, your ... well, you can just fill in the blank for more. I know, that's just the way things are, but have you ever asked yourself why things are that way? How did they get that way? And if you think it's always been that way, you must have been asleep that day in history class, for there was a time when we feared for our physical well-being, that's for sure, but we've never been so psychologically insecure as we are today.

The key indicator to this is stress. Do you know anyone who is really stress-free ... even all you retirees out there. Nothing you worry about? The state of the economy, the next social-security increase, prescription drug funding, Medicare ... nothing? We know that everyone who has a job, full or part time, is stressed out most of the time. One in four cancers are stress-induced. Stress is a leading cause of heart problems, strokes, digestive disorders, and more. We in the Western economies have – allegedly – never had it so good, being so rich, so well-fed, so lavished with opportunity ... why are we so stressed?

To me the answer is rather elementary: we aren't sure of anything anymore, and those who claim they are often find themselves clinging to ideas or even illusions that when they unravel cause more stress than before. Quite the dilemma, don't you think?