Chapter 11
YOU are FREE to CHOOSE
We begin Chapter 11 with the next law in the SAL Theory—a basic law of human liberty—as follows: All human beings possess the liberty to choose their thoughts, speech, actions, and beliefs.
Law 6
All human beings possess the liberty to choose their thoughts, speech, actions, and beliefs.
Liberty to choose is the basis upon which we extend and expand upon freedom as self-action leaders. If there is no liberty to choose, there is no freedom to learn, grow, and become. But with liberty to choose, we possess potential to gradually earn more freedom over time.
There are some exceptions to this law. Such exceptions exist in the cases of severe mental illness or disability. In most cases, however, human beings all have a degree of liberty to choose their thoughts, speech, actions, and beliefs.
The degree to which a person possesses liberty will depend and vary upon one's individual circumstances. For example, a child typically has less liberty than a teenager, and a teenager usually has less freedom than an adult. Moreover, liberty may be stifled (or not) to varying degrees depending on the social, organizational, civic, and national inhibitions and prohibitions in place thereon. In other words, some organizations, communities, and nations grant more liberty to their citizens and members than others.
This is why we at Freedom Focused are such ardent advocates of LIBERTY.
Nevertheless, as a general rule, all human beings in possession of their mental and emotional faculties possess some level of liberty to choose their thoughts, speech, actions, and beliefs—which are the fundamental building blocks of habits, character, and destiny.
A naturally-occurring corollary to Law #6 is that: All thoughts, words, actions, and beliefs create natural consequences over time.
Corollary 6.1
All thoughts, words, actions, and beliefs create natural consequences over time.
Amidst the complex nexus of human choices and naturally occurring forces of nature, it is not always possible to identify the precise source of every consequence that flows into our lives. However, the reality and impact of these natural outcomes are supremely self-evident. Thus, we can no more self-select or arbitrate these consequences than we can alter physical laws of the universe.
This truth leads us to Corollary 6.2, as follows: You cannot arbitrarily determine long-term consequences; they are governed by Universal Laws.
Corollary 6.2
You cannot arbitrarily determine long-term consequences;
they are governed by Universal Laws.
While you are always at liberty to make choices, you are not free to select the consequences of your choices. Such is the purview of Universal Laws. Human attempts to circumvent, manipulate, or flout naturally-occurring consequences always fail ultimately. In the long-run, you simply cannot escape them. It is therefore in everyone's long-term interest to learn as much as you can about True Principles rooted in Universal Law. Such an education empowers you to make the wisest possible decisions.
Do what is right, let the consequence follow. Battle for freedom in spirit and might;
And with stout hearts look ye forth til tomorrow. God will protect you; then do what is right."
Consequences that flow from Universal Laws rooted in True Principles do not play favorites; they impact everyone. While social, financial, and other variables may serve to soften the blow of some consequences, they still arise predictably from your choices. Thus, we have Corollary 6.3: Natural consequences are no respecters of persons.
Corollary 6.3
Natural consequences are no respecters of persons.
Sometimes consequences arise immediately from a given choice. For example: burning your hand on a hot iron or stove. Other consequences take time to fully materialize. For example: failing to care for your relationships, car engine, or health.
The time it takes for a given consequence to materialize differs widely from choice-to-choice and is based on a host of physical, mental, emotional, social, natural, and metaphysical variables.
Natural consequences do not prejudice; nor do they play favorites—although social, financial, and other variables may in some ways soften the blow of some consequences. Nevertheless, consequences remain subject to Universal Laws and play out relatively predictably over time, regardless of who is involved.
Consider here again the proverbial Law of Gravity. If you choose to jump off of a cliff without proper equipment and safeguards, it doesn't matter if you are rich or poor, healthy or sick, famous or unknown, tall or short, young or old, unusually attractive or just average looking, the results will be the same—and it won't be pretty!
Over time, these naturally-occurring consequences determine your ongoing reality. Thus, Corollary 6.4 states: In the long-run, natural consequences mold and shape your world.
Corollary 6.4
In the long-run, natural consequences mold and shape your world.
At any given point in time, the state of your world is the culmination of consequences from choices both you and others around you have made. This means that over time, everyone's life is governed by the Law of the Harvest. In other words, you ultimately REAP what you SOW.
There are, of course, seeming exceptions to this rule, especially in the short-run. External forces and aides may temporarily truncate or disguise your mortal harvest. Nevertheless, as a general rule, you really do and will harvest the fruits of all the seeds (thoughts, speech, actions, and beliefs) you choose to plant throughout your life. Because of the reality of delayed consequences, we must add a fifth corollary as follows: Results often take time to measure. (2)
Corollary 6.5
Results often take time to measure.
As human beings, we're prone to making premature judgments about the benefit or detriment of a thought, word, action, belief, circumstance, relationship, or situation. Often, the passage of time proves such judgments to be shortsighted, incomplete, or even unjust. That is why some of life's seeming successes may produce the seeds of your greatest grief and failure, while some of life's most painful moments may ultimately produce your greatest joys over time.
Never forget that Truth is paradoxical. This is perhaps why Kipling refers to "Triumph and Disaster" as "those two imposters" that self-action leaders would be wise to treat "just the same." (3)
"If you can dream—and not make dreams your master;
If you can think—and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same:" ...
"Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And—which is more—you'll be a Man, my son!" (4)
The final corollary of Law #6 hearkens back to our previous discussion of SAL Life Variables in BOOK the THIRD, Chapter 7, wherein we introduced 17 such variables that produce limitations and/or benefits to self-action leaders. Thus, Corollary 6.6 states: Your freedom to choose is impacted by 17 SAL Life Variables that produce a variety of benefits and limitations.
Corollary 6.6
Your freedom to choose is impacted by 17 SAL Life Variables
that produce a variety of benefits and limitations.
By way of review, these 17 SAL Life Variables, as introduced in BOOK the THIRD, Chapter 7, include:
1. Forces of Nature
2. Congenital Physical Variables
3. Congenital Familial Environment
4. Genetic and Mimetic Inclinations
5. Initial Opportunities for Education
6. Congenital Social Environment
7. Choices of Others
8. Time
9. Structural Inequality
10. Geopolitics and Macroeconomics
11. Good and Bad Luck
12. Suprarational Intervention
13. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (5)
14. Congenital Intelligence and Talent
15. Developed Intelligence and Talent
16. Desire
17. Will Power
God/Nature/the Universe/Serendipity/Life be thanked for our Liberty to Choose. For it is in this liberty that we possess the potential to become increasingly FREE over time.
In Your Journal
-
Reflect on the liberty you possess to choose what you think about, say, do, and believe. Are you currently using this liberty in ways that extends and expands
your personal freedom in the long-run?
-
If not, what are some specific ways in which you might use your liberty differently moving forward?
-
Knowing that “results often take time to measure,” what thoughts, speech, actions, and beliefs might seemingly benefit you in the short-run, but will likely hurt
you in the long-run?
-
On the flip side, what thoughts, speech, actions, and beliefs might seem to have no
reward at present, but will likely bear much fruit in the long-run if you are willing to be patient and persistent?
—Dr. JJ
Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
Author's Note: This is the 402nd Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013 and the 211th consecutive weekly blog published since August 31, 2020.
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Chapter 11 Notes
1. From Hymn #237, “Do What is Right.” Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day Saints. 1985. Salt Lake City, UT: Deseret Book Company.
2. Smith, H. W. (1994). The 10 Natural Laws of Successful Time and Life
Management: Proven Strategies for Increased Productivity and Inner Peace. New
York, NY: Warner Books. Direct quote—“Results often take time to measure”—
from page 145.
3. Kipling, R. in Cook, R.J. (1958/1997). One Hundred and One Famous Poems:
With a Prose Supplement (Revised Edition). Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary
Books. Page 108. Stanza 2, lines 3-4: “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same.”
4. Ibid. Stanza 2, lines 1-4 and Stanza 4, lines 7-8.
5. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs refers to a model of human progress developed in
the early 1940s by the American psychologist, Abraham Maslow (1908-1970).
Maslow’s famous theory states that all human beings are motivated by a hierarchy
of needs, and that lower needs must be met before higher needs can motivate. His
hierarchy is often presented visually as a triangle model with basic human needs
forming the base and higher human needs forming the top. His five basic needs
include Survival needs (Level One), Safety needs (Level Two), Love needs (Level
Three), Esteem needs (Level Four), and Self-Actualization needs (Level Five).
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