"La liberté est la liberté de dire que deux et deux font quatre."
— George Orwell
Simplified Meaning:
Having the freedom to say that two plus two equals four means having the ability to speak the truth without fear. Imagine you are in a classroom, and the teacher tells everyone that two plus two equals five. If you know the right answer but are scared to say it because of the teacher's authority, you are not truly free. Real freedom involves being able to share basic facts and truths, even if others disagree or there are consequences. Let's look at a historical example. In the past, there were times when people couldn't express their opinions or say what was true, like during oppressive regimes. If citizens said something the government didn't like, they could be punished. Complete control over speech and truth means people aren't free. In our daily lives, this concept encourages us to speak honestly and stand up for the truth. Say you're at work and notice something wrong in a project. Speaking up about the error instead of staying silent because you're afraid of your boss is a form of exercising freedom. So, speaking the truth, no matter how small or obvious, is an important part of being truly free.