The Last of the Human Freedoms

Sometime while I was in high school I read what has probably been the most influential book on my thinking. The author, Viktor Frankl, lived through one of the darkest chapters of human history; the Holocaust. Amidst enduring the horrors of a Nazi concentration camp, Frankl began writing a book in his head. The book is titled, Man's Search for Meaning. Frankl asserts that life for humanity is about purpose which is inextricably linked with the last freedom.

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

-Viktor Frankl

In this life there are things that constrain us.

Whether physical, environmental, economic, or social, these obstacles are real, and any of them can serve as a limiting factor.

To complicate things further, the human body requires a narrow range of internal conditions in order to thrive. But this delicate balance can be interrupted by a myriad of factors. Too hot, too cold, too much food, not enough food and the system falters.

Acknowledging that there are numerous factors that truly can and do limit our growth and success, I would argue that much of the time we don’t know where the true boundary of those limits is. Or perhaps more often, we confuse perceived barriers as actual constraints.

Furthermore, I would argue the most prevalent limiting factor is self-limiting behavior.

To be human is have desire. While individual desires and definitions of success vary, many us of envision lives of health, economic prosperity, adventure, love, and the list goes on.

But how many of us actually fail at attaining our dreams?

At the threshold, filled with anxiety and self doubt we lose our nerve. We fail to enter the arena and ensure our defeat before the battle has even begun.

We allow our attitude and response to be dictated by external circumstances.

The Stoics taught that external circumstances are outside our control. When we focus on things outside our control, we are limited and weak. Conversely, there are things within our power, such as our attitudes, opinions, and responses. This is the realm of contentment and strength, the home of the last freedom.

Why would you allow your mindset and poor habits to be the limiting factor?

Or as Marcus Aurelius wrote in his famous Meditations,

"Our life is what our thoughts make it."

The human spirit can be constrained only with your consent. 

Your ability to choose your attitude cannot be taken away.

Don't surrender the last of the human freedoms.

Choose your attitude.

Acknowledge real constraints, rather than perceived boundaries.

Enter the arena.