Do whatever you want. Just do it. Gotta have it. I want to be free. I don’t want to be restricted by anything.
These phrases express a deep desire for agency, sold as freedom. That is, the idea that we get to decide what we want to do, do it, and that’s the end of the story. But that’s never the end of the story.
Every action brings along consequences, some seen, some unseen. If we focus solely on the things we want to do, we ultimately forgo any understanding of consequences. We begin to enshrine the agency of an individual as something never to be limited. We begin to rail against any consequences we don’t like, never realizing that the root cause might be the breaking of the simple link between agency and consequences.
Everything is possible, but not everything is good. Before we are enamored with the next technological achievement, cultural revolution, strategic plan, or new experience ask if it will be good for everyone. That way, when we celebrate something, we can truly say that what we are affirming is not only awe inspiring, but also good.