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January 19, 2007
OFF LEASH: On liberty
"Off Leash" is an occasional column by Fiddler. Past columns can be found here.
Goethe once said that the average man does not want to be free -- he just wants to be safe. (His use of the term "man" here is consistent with the speciesism of his era and should not be held against him.)
The truth of the German polymath's aphorism was brought home to me recently while out on a walk. My collar had been loosened inadvertently the day before and, when I jerked excitedly toward an intriguing scent, it fell from my neck. For a moment, I experienced utter disenthrallment: no leash, no fences, no boundaries. I could, in theory, run in any direction for as long as I wished. I was free.
And, yet, I did not run. Rather, I stood absolutely still until my collar was returned to my neck. We finished our walk, had breakfast, and I curled up on the couch for my morning nap. Say what you like, liberty is totally overrated.
Posted by teb at January 19, 2007 10:48 AM