H. L. Mencken: The Role Of Freedom In Contemporary Society
707 Words3 Pages
Contemporary society, as many perceive it today, seems to exist as a singular entity, a unit of anthropological organization that people assume has always been present. Nonetheless, it is not something that simply appeared overnight, just as, ironically, the United States of America did not become united in their freedom in a matter of days. Throughout history, freedom has been sought after by all humans, as it is against human nature to be restricted or confined by others. However, “The average man does not want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.”, stated by H.L. Mencken, and this is applicable to contemporary society on a relative basis, as freedom has changed from a prospect to a given for many living in developed society, safety is…show more content… It is also valid to point out that in third world countries, many are not quite as fortunate to be able to have this ability. However, the fact that the general population is not able to employ free will does not mean that their primary concern is still about their lack of freedom. Ultimately, no matter where one lives, safety is one’s main apprehension because history has made it so. Since the beginning of time, the most elemental drive of all beings has been survival, or as Herbert Spencer put it, “survival of the fittest”. In contemporary society today, the same is still true; people value their freedom, but safety is a token that has always been…show more content… Americans pledge their allegiance to the flag and the rights that come with it, but if they had neither protection nor liberty, they would most certainly choose to be secure in their lives. All of this is because safety, in a way, has an added bonus of generic freedom. The state of being “safe” includes not being able to be hurt, harmed, and also lost or taken. In a sense, this safeness could be referred to as the security that grants one their rights and independence. Of course, one is not insured to have the total privilege that is associated with complete freedom, however, safety on its own provides some freedom, while freedom does not undoubtedly cater