June is a special month for Tsim & Bibi. We celebrated our second anniversary at Morning Glen Mall in Gallo Manor, Johannesburg. And like the many occasions we cake for you, we also took time to celebrate our evolution around the sun. To pause and reflect on how far we’ve come. And also plan for the future we expect to unlock. A special shout out goes to those of you who’ve been on the journey with us. Except we have you to serve, we’ve no business being in business!

Last month we had an interesting conversation touching ‘The First Person’. The focus being on the self and how an emphasis on it is playing out in the broader societal context. I trust you’ve all read it. Suffice to say that this month, I’m led to go back to that conversation and continue a thread I intimated on. Being the topic of ‘Freedom’. If you recall, I explained how the attainment of freedom is one of the reasons for the emphasis placed on the self. We’ve come from times when individual freedoms were compromised and undermined. And now that we’re living in a new day, at a time when individual freedoms are recognised and upheld, the individual voice has become increasingly louder as man does everything he can to uphold his basic human rights. To retain the freedom he fought so hard to secure. Sadly, the fight for freedom still continues in many parts of the world today. Because there are people who’ve still not evolved. Beyond the required changes in behaviours, a mindset shift is necessary. But that’s for another day.

As we engage in this conversation, my hope is that you’ll gain a new perspective on what is a sustainable and healthy balance between ‘Freedom’ and ‘The First Person’. Having regard to the world we’re building. That is, the world we get to enjoy today and will leave for future generations. Because as long as everything turns on ‘me’, it will be impossible to arrive at a place of true unity as communities and societies. And introduce lasting changes for the benefit of everyone. Which should be the goal in this era of free men. After all, what is freedom if you don’t have the liberty to fully enjoy everything it comes with?

Let’s get into it. The Oxford Dictionary defines freedom as “the power or right to act, think or speak as one wants”. We’ve considered this definition previously. Freedom is also defined as “the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved”. And to be enslaved means “to cause someone to lose their freedom of choice or action”. In recognising and enforcing the liberties that come with the freedoms available to all human beings, by virtue of simply being alive, we’re seeing that the interpretation of freedom is increasingly subjective more than it is objective. Put aside the basic human rights that are amplified in the world today. Everyone has their personal interpretation of those particular rights; what they believe to be freedom in that context. Being their personal entitlement. As a result, what is freedom to one could be slavery to another. And what is freedom to the next person may be unnecessary for many. Everyone is pushing and pulling in the direction of what they believe to be their personal freedoms, and there doesn’t exist a common standard pulling it all together. Save for the definitions which keep reaching wider and wider. Granted, the law attempts to introduce some balance to this, by imposing certain clear lines. But even then, we’re increasingly finding that this doesn’t work. Men across the world are marching every other day against standards that have been codified by law makers in the name of unity; yet it’s argued that they undermine the personal liberties currently enjoyed by some. And the divide keeps growing.

How then will we truly establish unity in the world when men appear to be more disconnected and divided than ever before?

It’s with the above in mind that we must talk about boundaries. Boundaries are defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “lines which mark the limits of an area”, or “dividing lines”. Put differently, a boundary is “something that points out or shows a limit or end”.

I believe you can never truly be free until you understand the limits of that freedom. And apply boundaries to it. Until you know that just because you’re entitled to do as you please, and that everything is available for you as you wish, doesn’t mean you should just go for it all. To know where to draw the line and what to place outside of the bounds of the liberties you freely enjoy. Knowing you can, but instead choosing not to, because it’s not beneficial or expedient to you or the common good. As long as the definition of freedom you uphold means you can do whatever you want, whenever you want, all the time; then you’re in a sort of captivity. A free man. Just limited in how far you can expand. By your narrow mindedness. Simply because you believe true freedom is in the exercise of all available rights at will. Even when this would contradict or go against other fundamental principles that are of greater importance. Or would even limit you in your comings and goings. You’re truly free when you can sit back and draw boundaries within the liberties available to you; yet appreciating you could still have if you had chosen to. Because the right is yours and remains yours even when you choose not to enforce or enact it. But this is a hard one for many.

The thing is, freedom is power. And power is dangerous when exercised without restraint. We continue to witness countless examples of this in the world today. Where power, given free reign, has been to the destruction of many. Ever stopped to wonder how Hitler was able to convince an entire nation to pursue Nazism; without a gun? He just spoke and men listened. How easily such twisted philosophies can multiply through many simply by the power of influence.

That’s why this conversation is so important. If we’re unable to regulate our liberties in some manner, chaos will eventually erupt. And we’re already at the brink of that. Everyone doing their own thing is just not sustainable. Yes, I am entitled to own a gun and keep one in my home. But is it wise to exercise my freedom in this manner? Yes, I am entitled to marry a dog if I so wish. But is it beneficial to do that? Yes, I am entitled to speak as I wish and act as I wish. But is it expedient to run down the street naked, screaming every kind of profanity at those I pass by? While these may seem like simple examples, the magnitude of this issue lies in its simplicity. All freedoms should be submitted to a greater power. If you can’t be constrained in even the little things, how then do you expect to sit around larger tables and discuss matters with far-reaching consequences, and which affect multitudes across the globe, in the spirit of unity? I believe it’s because we’ve become so loose on the little things that the important and necessary conversations are becoming harder to hold. They’re becoming ‘politically incorrect’. Because every day we draw ourselves further away from a place that inspires unity simply because we choose to only see matters from our individual lenses. And are unwilling to comprise on that perspective for anyone or anything, lest this is perceived as a sign of weakness and ultimately a form of being enslaved once again.

But then this begs the question. Who gets to define the boundaries of our freedom? Who is that greater power? Is it left to The First Person or some other external party? I believe it’s clear that it can’t be left to the self. The world already looks the way it does today because of the emphasis placed on the self. The First Person has defined the extent of his liberties and continues to express himself in them as far as he wishes. Without restraint or constraint. And there’s much confusion in the world as a result of this. Many voices are speaking; they are mostly conflicted; and it’s unclear where this is all going and where to draw the lines. I believe some external party is required to intervene and impose a standard that applies to all men across the board. The question just turns on who?

Now, I could absolutely go there, and give my thoughts on who I believe the independent arbiter should be. But that would open up a complex conversation that’s not for today. Needless to say. If we’re to make meaningful progress towards unifying communities and societies at large, these are the hard conversations we must hold in truth.  

What’s clear is that the weaker the individuals, the stronger the communities. That the individual must give up something in order to make room for the broader, common good. There’s no other way. Communities are made up of individuals. We’re individuals first before we gather as communities. Each of us comes as we are and brings to the table who we are and what we have to offer. Yet one thing can’t be denied. As individuals, we all have our expectations of and demands on our communities and societies. We all want somethings. Whether it’s less crime and corruption, more job opportunities, more access to health, better service delivery, stronger governments, and so on. We’re each placing a demand that we expect to be met. However, until we each have a fundamental mindset shift on this most important issue, and find an appropriate balance between the exercise of our personal liberties and the broader societal good; and until we get there collectively as peoples, we’re fooling ourselves if we believe we’re building unified communities that will address the many ills we continue to experience on a daily basis. Without this, we’ll continue to see instances where the self is given pre-eminence to the detriment of the common good. Where one man wins while many lose. Where a few are advantaged while multitudes continue to suffer.

After all. You’re not enslaved because you choose not to fully exercise the freedoms available to you. In fact, this person is most free, because he chooses not to move in a particular direction; knowing he can at any point in time, by right. Now, that’s liberty! You’re enslaved when another imposes this condition on you; against your free will. Those are the days our forefathers fought against, and we’re not going back there without a fight. However, we can today tame ourselves to a narrative that promotes the common good without undermining this authority. Sadly, many of the freedoms that came with emancipation have actually disempowered men even further. In the exercise of those freedoms, men are growing weaker by the day. And they don’t even know it. Because there’s weakness that is strength. And weakness that just isn’t.

That’s why we’re having this conversation.

And with that, I’ll go back to caking!

Yours in baking,

Chi