¶ … Value of Freedom Quintessentially, freedom is the means and the ability to do that which one wants. There are some implicit facets of this definition that are of importance. Exercising that means and ability may be in accordance with both legal precedents and moral convictions that determine how one is able to go about doing what one desires to do. Still, true freedom lies in being able to achieve one's objectives by having both the ability and the means to do so, which requires that one actually knows one's self and what one wants.

For example, I may decide that I want to publish a work of literature and have it moderately lauded. I could be an illiterate person, or a homeless person. Freedom does not mean that I can simply wave a magic wand and have my book on the shelves. Instead, it means that I have the mind and the physical means to educate myself, and to do so to an extent that I can produce a credible work of literature. Again, what is implicit in this example is the fact that the basis of true freedom is actually in knowing what one wants. If I was a homeless and an illiterate person and wanted to drive a Mercedes merely because that's what I saw other people driving, then I would not be free. But If I know what I want and take the necessary steps...

However, it is crucial to note that those people are merely temporary in their worth and their impact on my freedom. I may need to take orders from others at a job and do things that I do not wish to do. However, if I do so long enough and earn the capital that I need I can eventually become independent of then, and exercise my freedom at leisure. This example is another that supports the importance of knowing one's self. If one truly knows what one desires in one's exercise of freedom, then one can endure temporary restrictions on one's freedom in order to ultimately achieve it.
In summary, true freedom not only relates to the means and ability to do what one wants, but also to know one's self so that one is sure of what one wants. These two facets of freedom are not mutually exclusive and are actually intertwined with one another. The former depends on the latter while simultaneously, the latter requires the former as well.

Part 2

As I reflect on the skill, insight, and knowledge that I have gained in my…