“The paradox seems to be, as Socrates demonstrated long ago, that the truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery. While those who will not govern themselves are condemned to find masters to govern over them”
— Steven Pressfield
Simplified Meaning:
This quote explains that true freedom comes from having control over yourself. Imagine you want to be good at playing the guitar. You have to practice regularly, control your time, and focus your efforts. It's not always fun, and there are many distractions, but sticking to your practice schedule is a form of self-discipline. Without that self-discipline, you won't progress, and you might end up feeling stuck, needing a teacher or someone else to constantly push you along. So, being free means setting and following your own rules rather than being forced to follow someone else's rules. If you don’t control your own actions and habits, you’ll likely have to rely on others to guide you, which means you’re not entirely free. Applying this to real life, if you want to succeed in anything, be it school, work, or a hobby, you need to govern your own actions and be disciplined. The more you manage yourself, the less you'll need to depend on others, making you freer to do what you genuinely want.
