Objective
The course objective is to allow participants to form an image for themselves about freedom – on a personal, interpersonal and social level, and in all areas of life.
- Personal Level: How to allow myself to be who I really am. To listen to myself, to find out what I truly feel and want, which is often hidden behind automatic behaviors, social norms instilled by society, as well as fear, guilt, and shame. To understand how I impose on myself thoughts and behaviors that are not authentic, and how to free myself from them. How to develop a belief in my abilities, the courage to discover what I really want, and act accordingly.
- Interpersonal Level: Allow myself to be who I really am in front of others. Not to hide behind masks but to be authentic. To express my boundaries and desires. And on the other hand, to learn to respect the freedom and boundaries of others – “live and let live”, without coercion.
- Society Level: What is a free society? How does the society around us limit our freedom and imposes norms, culture, laws, and social institutions, some of which are sometimes harmful to us? How can we work together to break free from these limitations and create a truly free society?
The course provides practical knowledge and tools for everyday use. The teaching is experiential, i.e. through exercises, sharing, simulations of real-life situations, games, and tasks. We will also talk about related values such as personal sovereignty, integrity, personal responsibility, fairness, caring, truth, and more.
Topics
Here is a partial list of possible topics (we may need to divide them into more than one course):
Relationship to Self: How is our freedom limited by harmful internal patterns, such as insecurity, complacency, fear-mongering, guilt, shame, addictions, procrastination, emotional slavery, and limiting beliefs? How can we replace them with empowering patterns such as self-love, self-confidence, self-awareness, personal responsibility, courage, resourcefulness, emotional maturity, and empowering beliefs?
Freedom from Neuroticism: How can our obsessive mind imprison us inside harmful thinking that leads to emotional suffering and practical harm? How can we break free from this suffering and mental prison, and be free to connect with pleasant feelings?
Personal Sovereignty: What is personal sovereignty? In what ways do people violate the personal sovereignty of themselves and others? How can we respect our own and others’ personal sovereignty? We will talk about independent thinking, respecting our own boundaries, how to refuse and accept refusal, how to avoid coercion and manipulation and how to respond to them, tolerance – “live and let live” without coercion, and more.
Freedom while Facing Others: How can I allow myself to be who I really am with others? Not to hide behind masks, but to be authentic, to express my boundaries and desires, and not to allow my fears to stop me?
Social Norms: What are the social and cultural norms that exist around us? How can we identify them? How can we examine whether they suit us or not? How to develop the courage to listen to ourselves and act according to our truth when it contradicts the accepted mainstream? How to deal with the social price we may have to pay for our freedom?
Freedom from Ignorance: How do lack of knowledge and false beliefs limit our freedom? How can we know what is true, and be exposed to more useful knowledge?
Responsibility and Meaning: Freedom in itself may lead to feelings of emptiness, boredom, and depression. It is important to balance freedom with personal responsibility and finding personal meaning.
Free Society: What is a free society? What are the freedoms embodied in human rights? How does the society around us limit our freedom and impose norms, culture, laws, and social institutions on us, some of which can sometimes be harmful to us? How can we work together to free ourselves from these limitations and create a truly free society?
Additional Topics: In the course, we will not be able to talk about all the topics related to freedom, but we will be able to briefly review additional topics and provide references to sources for further study on topics such as: health freedom (how to increase flexibility and strength and reduce physical pain and illness), freedom in relationships and sexuality, financial freedom, and more.