Liberty: Where it Stems From, and What it Means to Me

Liberty has been important for me since I was about 10 years old. I grew up in a ‘Laissez-Faire’ house and was taught that anything is possible, if you work hard for it and persevere. The more you want, the harder you work. Simple as that, right?

Well no, not quite. In essence, yes, but some obstacles can prove seemingly unmovable, putting a stopper in our goals, making us backpedal and rethink what we really want out of life. I’m in my 20s, I’m currently going through the first real stage of ‘what do I want? How do I get it?’. There are so many paths I would love to follow. I do some crypto trading, I'm currently working in theoretical physics research, do I want to take a more commercial approach? Maybe go into business? Whatever happens, I consider myself extremely fortunate that I have the liberty and freedom to shape my own future.

“DB, this has nothing to do with liberty or politics.”

I think it does. I founded the Libertarian society at my university in the UK, and I spoke to many people about their political views and opinions, from all across the political spectrum. It was from these conversations that I discerned something quite fundamental about, at least, student political culture. I have found that your attitude about life, how you achieve your goals, with how much hunger you chase what you want, tends to indicate political leaning.

I got into Bitcoin because of libertarianism, from reading Ron Paul’s ‘End The Fed’. Reading Hayek and Mises, I learnt about centralized and decentralized currencies, and like so many other crypto enthusiasts, I dreamt of the good a blockchain solution could do.

Time after time, however, I was shot down by people I talked to, mostly students, but also family members, other friends and even strangers sometimes. In the UK, at least, there is an overwhelming culture of closed-mindedness. An almost intrinsic sense of stubbornness - “That sounds like garbage” is the response I often receive. People often hear ‘liberty’ and get angry. I have had work colleagues and strangers literally scream at me for suggesting that some key aspects of our society are unjust and immoral, and that there are better alternatives.

The people who are hungry, who want success, who wake up every morning and strive to be better than they were the day before, are my favourite type of people. These people are open to suggestions, open-minded, and understand the paramount importance of innovative thinking. I feel that it is no coincidence that these people often value liberty and freedom, to be able to change what they feel is wrong and make a positive impact on whatever communities they are a part of.

I’m a libertarian because I believe in people. I believe in the power of individuals, of human kindness, and the generosity of ordinary human beings.