[January 25, 2023] Without limitations, there can be no choice, no existence, no freedom. Our limitations are the origin of our freedom.
“God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. What does He lack? The answer is limitation.” – Dr. Jordan Peterson tells the story of something he read in Jewish commentary on the Torah
This riddle is brilliant because it informs us about something central to the nature of existence. And that is that without limitation, there is no being. That isn’t easy to understand, but we can explore it in a game.
Imagine, if you will, you playing an undefined game with another person. Go up to that person and tell them you’re going to play a game. They will say okay. You say you move first. Unsurprisingly, they don’t know what to do. The reason is that the limits of the game have not been defined. The consequence of that is their infinite choices freeze them.
This means that in the absence of actual constraint, there can be no choice, no freedom, no existence.
Perhaps I can explain this better with the story of my firstborn, my son.
When my son was born, I was concerned about his vulnerability. My son is now a grown man with children of his own. And I love him. When he was an infant, I was struck by how perfect he was. He was a tremendous responsibility to me. Yet he was so faultless my responsibility to care for him was worthwhile.
The thing about being a parent is that the vulnerability of children is now apparent in such a way that it was never before their birth. That responsibility is simultaneously scary and beautiful.
I was concerned people would hurt my son, accidents would befall him, and he would be disappointed in his life. And that is a limitation, the tragic reality that he is vulnerable. If I were to protect him so that tragedy and evil would not happen to him by creating some protective device, I would also remove the thing I most loved. It turns out that vulnerability is a precondition for human beings that makes us so extraordinary and remarkable.
The Jewish commentary was that what the infinite lacks is the finite. This is a more abstract and vivid way of grasping the same idea.
If you could do absolutely anything you wanted to at any time and be anywhere you wanted and be anything you wanted, and if there were nothing out of your reach, there would be nothing to do, and there would be no being.
This leads us to an important question. “Is there a way to conduct our lives so that the inherent vulnerability that is necessarily present in your life is made not just acceptable but desirable?”
Humans are vulnerable, and that is tragic. But if tragedy is the price we pay for existence, then so be it.
Only through vulnerability can we be free, which is a truth we often ignore. This is the origins of freedom.
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Others have suggested it too but I’ll emphasize the point, …. please write a follow up to this blog post for us. For example, address why the symbol of peace is a white dove in flight. Why a dove (or bird)? Why the color white? Why in flight? THese are deep questions we’d like discussed here in your website …. great job Gen. Satterfield. I will continue to recommend you book “55 Rules for a Good life.”
I really like this leadership forum where ideas can be discussed and good comments had. And, the articles are worthy of my time and energy. They do make me think. And, i must say this is what I’ve been looking for as a way to make improvements in my leadership skills and personal life. I’ve had a tough road to success but I’m there. Thanks all for your support.
Yes, that’s why we are here.
Welcome, jack!!!!! ✔
I’ll go out on a limb here and suggest to Gen. Satterfield that he develop this idea further. I know others are thinking the same thing. I’d like to see this made into perhaps a couple of articles that push our minds further. Learning about what freedom is AND what freedom is not, will be very helpful.
Gen. Satterfield, I don’t believe I’ve read anything like this before. Great. If you could delve deeper into this topic, we would like for you to do so.
I enjoyed this article and recommend it to all.
We all do, at least I think so. Many of us here in the discussion forum are regulars and we are always interested in new folks bringing in new ideas and hard thinking on difficult subjects. Lady Hawk, you are one of our teammates. So thanks for your input.
That’s what we do. Thanks Rides Alone and good to hear from you.
Two great comments from Rides Alone. Today, you da man.
One of the best articles I’ve read in a long time anywhere. If Gen. Satterfield could develop this idea of freedom a bit, it would be great. For example, the symbol of peace is the dove (as shown in his thumbnail). Flight means you have to learn rules and have the ability. Without the ability, then the bird cannot fly and cannot have the freedom to fly away. I wonder how that applies to us humans but wanted to point out the symbolism.
Now this is powerful as a comment from a military man.
“If you could do absolutely anything you wanted to at any time and be anywhere you wanted and be anything you wanted, and if there were nothing out of your reach, there would be nothing to do, and there would be no being.” … Gen. Doug Satterfield at his best.
This is why I read this blog now. Gen. Satterfield has clearly developed his ideas over time and we are witness to this phenomenon.
As a long-time reader, I can vouch for that. ✔
Imagine, if you will, you playing an undefined game with another person. Go up to that person and tell them you’re going to play a game. They will say okay. You say you move first. Unsurprisingly, they don’t know what to do. The reason is that the limits of the game have not been defined. The consequence of that is their infinite choices freeze them. This means that in the absence of actual constraint, there can be no choice, no freedom, no existence.
Top notch. Enjoyed today’s article, Gen. Satterfield and thanks. I’ve been recommending your book “55 rules for a good life” and I hope others continue to get it.
Right Pen Q and for those with questions on Gen. S, they can be found in his book. 😎
“Only through vulnerability can we be free, which is a truth we often ignore. This is the origins of freedom.” – Gen. Satterfield. One of the better lines.
👍 I’m just wondering exactly why Gen. Satterfield put this article out today. Is he building up to something bigger? Is he setting the stage for another direction of his leadership blog? Is this a new direction, like in philosophical threads? Just wondering. Any comments? Keep the faith folks, this still is one of the greatest blogs out there. And be sure to read the daily favorites.
I’m just thinking this is not that really different from the past couple of months where Gen. S. changed the direction of his blog and focused more on the person, the pursuit of truth and responsibility. He even changed it in his header.
Thoughtful comments here. I don’t see a change or a build up to anything. Besides, you can always ask Gen. Satterfield the question directly.
👍👍👍👍👍 Got it. Well said.
wow
Hi Jerome, haven’t heard from you in a couple of weeks. Good to see you back.
“God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. What does He lack? The answer is limitation.” – Dr. Jordan Peterson tells the story of something he read in Jewish commentary on the Torah
Hey, doc, what you do think of this?