The politically charged world we live in is characterized by many terms, most notably “freedom, fairness and equality”.
Maybe the tone and temper of civic discourse would be improved if we had some shared definitions of them.
Blogger Seth Godin offers three short but compelling views of what they mean.
How do you define them?
Freedom, fairness and equality
Freedom doesn’t mean no responsibility. In fact, it requires extra responsibility. Freedom is the ability to make a choice, and responsibility is required once you make that choice.
Fairness isn’t a handout. Fairness is the willingness to offer dignity to others. The dignity of being seen and heard, and having a chance to make a contribution.
And equality doesn’t mean equal. Equality doesn’t guarantee me a starting position on the Knicks. Equality means equality of access, the opportunity to do my best without being disqualified for irrelevant reasons.
