Are we free within society?

As we grow up, we begin to question many aspects within our society, and, eventually, desires for individuality start to form. One element that goes hand-in-hand with individualism is freedom; however, within the boundaries of society, are we ever truly free? Personally, I believe that we cannot choose a particular side, whether it is saying that we have no freedom at all, or claiming that society permits us to do what our heart wishes. Society provides us with a set of rules and limits, while also giving us a certain degree of freedom.

As stated in the article, society shapes the way we think, feel and act, meaning that individuals are influenced by the environment, and culture, that we grow up with. The norms, beliefs or traditions we take on starting at a young age play a significant role in our development as they affect our future perception of events and educates us on what is "right" or "wrong", thus, in a particular way, limiting our freedom. Individuals are also assigned several roles that restrain our actions in many ways. For instance, a teacher cannot act as they wish in school, and just host games every class. They have the responsibility to educate the group on a specific subject and be an example for the students.

Nonetheless, alongside these different factors, individuals are permitted to have freedom of choice. Beyond the choices people make on a daily basis, they are allowed to choose their profession, their diet, and their entertainment. In my personal case, I was born in a vegetarian family, but there are many cases where I could choose to eat meat or not, yet I chose not to because of my personal decision. Another example is the elections, individuals have the freedom to choose their ideal leader according to their own perspective.

In conclusion, society gives us relative freedom but sets us within a structure that cannot be easily "escaped". This is how our society works, and will continue functioning like so for many more years.