Bernd, Germany, Age 65
Imagine for a moment that you had an internal gauge—a kind of level indicator—for your current sense of freedom. Like any gauge, it would have a scale, say from zero to one hundred. The value shown would naturally fluctuate. But when the essential things in life are in place, it stays close to one hundred and varies only slightly.
You’d like to know what freedom means to me? Then let me describe the key influences on my personal indicator—as I feel them. The answer to your question, you’ll find in that.
On the one hand, the value displayed is—also in my case—strongly shaped by external circumstances. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to be born in a time and place that, so far, has known no war. That alone accounts for a significant part of my sense of freedom.
Of course, my health also plays a major role—something I can only partially influence myself.
On the other hand, I believe there are aspects that are deeply shaped by my own choices. Through the way I think, through my actions—but also the things I choose not to do.
Above all, I feel that my „personal current values“ have a powerful impact. Perhaps I’m lucky that my personal values tend to be rather modest, and therefore more easily fulfilled.
At the core are the deep connection to my homeland, and the gift of being able to engage in physical activity—ideally outdoors in nature—almost every single day.
So yes, I believe you can understand: I’m quite content with the current reading of my freedom gauge. And frankly, I’d rather not imagine how far it would drop if war were ever to reach my homeland.