The Ideas of Liberty: Measuring Success

By Chris Rossini

Our outside world is a reflection of the dominant ideas that people hold. It's a mirror image of the beliefs that dominate at the time. When we gaze out of our eyes and see government dominating virtually all aspects of society, it's no surprise to see multitudes of people who believe that this is the way it should be. The outside is a mirror image of the inside.

Since we don't live in a static world, but one of constant change, the ideas that dominate are always changing as well.

The ideas of Liberty once dominated in America. That gradually changed to a fervent faith in government power. 

When the ideas of Liberty dominated in America, those who sought limitless power were in the minority. They struggled and were distraught. Prior to the formation of the American military empire, one of its architects, Theodore Roosevelt, lamented that Americans were so attached to the ideas of peace with foreign nations, that he feared his empire and wars would never come.

Today, we are at the opposite end of the spectrum. Many Americans fear that the perpetual wars will never end!

In the same exact America, we have seen polar opposite ideas come to dominate. For the time being, it is Liberty that is in the minority position. But unlike Teddy Roosevelt, we need not despair.

Imagine that you have a handful of watermelon seeds. You head over to some fresh soil that you've prepared and plant the seeds.

The next day you come out to check on the watermelons, and all that you see is soil. No watermelons! You throw your hands up in despair and say: "Oh, this is ridiculous. This doesn't work at all! ... I give up."

As silly as that sounds, it's how many freedom-lovers approach the ideas of Liberty. Always surrounded by people who preach about government power, the freedom-lover feebly makes his case, is bombarded with statist responses, is called names for proposing liberty, and he gives up!

"People don't change. They deserve the government that they have. What's the use? ... I give up."

That's the kind of attitude that keeps a minority opinion in the minority much longer than it has to be. Liberty would spring forth much quicker with a simple change in attitude.

Let's go back to the watermelons, but this time, you're not looking for an instantaneous result.

Instead, you recognize that your job is done. You planted the seeds, and now it's out of your hands. You let the sunshine and the rain, and all the variables that are out of your control take over.

You did your part. You planted.

After several weeks go by, you head out to find beautiful watermelons. It does work, and it works perfectly! You planted watermelon seeds, let go of everything else and watermelons came up!...Not cucumbers...Not tomatoes.

You also notice that, even though you planted a handful of seeds, every one of those seeds didn't sprout. Some may have washed away. Others, for whatever reason, didn't spring forth. You don't go digging for them. You don't try to find them and "set them straight". 

You let them be.

Your job wasn't to grow anything. Your job was to plant, and you did it! The rest was out of your hands.

Now let's apply these concepts to the ideas of Liberty. 

The success of the ideas depend wholly on your ability to plant them (i.e., understand and share them with others). Once you share them, it's out of your hands. You let all the countless variables take over from there. You did your part. You shared.

The results of this great good that you have done, may never appear to you directly. Ideas are invisible and the effect that they have as they spread from person to person cannot be measured and put onto a spreadsheet.

Someone across the country may be persuaded by the idea that you shared, and you'll never know it. At the same time, the other person will not know that the message originated with you.

Fascinating!

At all times, however, you're well aware that every seed doesn't spring forth. Despite anything you say or do, your uncle may still think that the U.S. should destroy another country, and your best friend may still think she has a "right" to healthcare.

You let them be.

Your concern is not to "set them straight". 

Your job is to plant, and to plant abundantly. That's the measure of success.

Did you plant, or not?

If you planted today, you succeeded today.

You're not bothered that you don't see the results instantaneously. There is no reason to despair. You did your part.

You also realize that you don't go out into a country of 300+ million Americans with a puny handful of seeds. The vultures will eat those before breakfast, and then laugh at your silly fringe ideas.

Instead, you go out with buckets and truck loads full....every day.

You plant and let go. Plant and let the countless other variables take over. You're confident that when you plant the ideas of liberty, they will produce liberty. Just as a watermelon seed doesn't produce a cucumber, neither will the ideas of Liberty produce tyranny.

What does the seed of Liberty look like anyway?

No individual or group of individuals (that includes government) has the right to use aggressive force against anyone else. If force is ever used, it is only justified in self-defense to repel an aggressor.

That's the idea.

How each of us plants depends on our own skill set. Some will write, some will speak, some will Tweet, some will make YouTubes. Others will even come up with brand new ways to deliver the message.

There is no central planner for Liberty and there is no central plan. No hubs and no spokes. 

When enough people plant the ideas of Liberty, in their own way, sufficiently and in abundance, those ideas will dominate again.

It won't be a surprise for people at that time to gaze out of their eyes to see a multitude of people who believe in the ideas of Liberty and Peace. 

It could be no other way.

​The outer world is a mirror image of the inner world.

​