"How can we dare to predict the behaviour of man? We may predict the movements of a machine, of an automaton; more than this, we may even try to predict the mechanisms or "dynamisms" of the human psyche as well. But man is more than psyche.
Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is lived in terms of responsibleness. That is why I recommend the Statue of Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the West Coast."
I had never really considered this before, which is rare when reading something on philosophy or psychology because as you know I think a lot.
This is what I think the quote is trying to get across:
Freedom needs responsibility in order for it to be worth something. That sounds immensely crazy, and in some ways it is. Some may argue that the beauty of freedom is in the choosing between responsibleness and wrecklessness. That is exactly Frankl's (the guy who wrote it) point. That is why he calls freedom the negative side of the phenomenon and responsibleness the positive side. For we all know that freedom could cause wrecklessness which results in negativity and often (as I previously called it) worthlessness. But Freedom taken with Responsibility could well cause a tide of generosity, love, patience, kindness, gentleness and all kinds of other wonderful things. These result in positivity and always worth. Immeasurable worth.
May we all learn to have a Statue of Liberty in our heart and a Statue of Responsibility in our heads, that we may become truly worthwhile people.
This is what I think the quote is trying to get across:
Freedom needs responsibility in order for it to be worth something. That sounds immensely crazy, and in some ways it is. Some may argue that the beauty of freedom is in the choosing between responsibleness and wrecklessness. That is exactly Frankl's (the guy who wrote it) point. That is why he calls freedom the negative side of the phenomenon and responsibleness the positive side. For we all know that freedom could cause wrecklessness which results in negativity and often (as I previously called it) worthlessness. But Freedom taken with Responsibility could well cause a tide of generosity, love, patience, kindness, gentleness and all kinds of other wonderful things. These result in positivity and always worth. Immeasurable worth.
May we all learn to have a Statue of Liberty in our heart and a Statue of Responsibility in our heads, that we may become truly worthwhile people.
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