Sheldon Richman Quote

Freedom, at its core, is the beautiful ability to just be — to exist without feeling the need to fix everything, change everyone’s mind, or chase after every fleeting goal. It’s the freedom to take a deep breath, sip your coffee, and think, 'Wow, I’m just here, and that’s enough.' The pursuit of happiness? Sure, go for it — just don’t trample anyone else’s rights while you’re at it. That’s the tricky part of liberty: balancing your dreams while respecting other people’s lives, property, and (sometimes baffling) choices without making them live by beliefs they never signed up for.

And freedom is an opportunity, not a chore. It invites us to give joyfully, to help willingly, to serve cheerfully — all with a full and honest heart. That’s true empowerment. But let’s be clear, the moment helping others becomes a mandatory to-do list item handed down from on high, it’s not empowerment — it’s oppression. Nobody thrives under a yoke, no matter how shiny it looks.

Now, freedom does come with some fine print: agreements. When people come together, they tend to make deals, whether it’s about sharing chores, trading skills, or deciding who’s picking up the pizza. These agreements might temporarily limit our liberty, but they also hinge on our honor — keeping your word because trust matters. Here’s the heart of it: liberty and truth go hand in hand. Without truth, those agreements crumble, and what’s left? Chaos. Love and trust can’t survive in a world of half-truths and empty promises. Without them, we’d end up in a bleak spiral of delusion, bitterness, and, well, the kind of chaos no one has time for.

Real giving, the kind that changes lives and uplifts spirits, has to come from choice — not compulsion. When it’s done willingly, it builds connection and keeps us human. Benevolence is vital for society, but it can never be forced through legislation. That’s like telling someone to be spontaneous. It’s missing the whole point.

Freedom thrives when we can look at one another and say, “I choose to care, not because I have to, but because I want to.” And in that choice, we find not just liberty but joy, truth, and a whole lot of love. And maybe even pizza — because agreements need snacks too.

Once again, Fred, that is YOUR opinion and you are entitled to it.

But I am of the same mind as Benjamin Franklin:

“It is a working man who is a happy man. It is the idle man who is a miserable man.”

And:

“Idle hands are the devil’s playthings.”