One of my favorite quotes of late, on freedom:
Like most Americans, I shrink from the thought of subservience of mind or person. I too cherish the word freedom. But I want to be free to be painstaking if I want to, to be responsible, to be involved; to be free to exercise whatever intellect I may have, and I consider both discipline and craft indispensable to freedom.
Ben Shahn, The Shape of Content
I appreciate the freedom to be exactly as disciplined and unadventurous as I like without feeling the need to apologize for it. In particular, I find myself valuing the freedom to be serious, studious, and self-reliant more with each passing day. There is a kind of oppression contained in the endless cultural cajoling to live a little and indulge oneself that I’ve had quite enough of, thank you very much.