![\"eric](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/eric-kim-street-photography-nyc-770x514.jpg?resize=770%2C514\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
When we are children \u00e2\u20ac\u201d we create the rules of the games we create.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
It is always more fun to play games where we create the rules. It helps us gain more control of our lives, and have more fun.<\/p>\n
When we get older, we lose our sense of self. We stop making our own rules for our own game of life. Rather, we start to blindly follow the rules that others set for us.<\/p>\n
All rules in society are socialized. None of them are set in stone. The biggest lesson I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve learned through traveling is how diverse and different all social rules are.<\/p>\n
In Japan\/America, it is considered bad manners to arrive late. But in a lot of Southeast Asian cultures, it is considered bad manners to arrive on time.<\/p>\n
In America, it is considered bad manners not to shake someone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hand when you meet them. But in Thailand, people don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t touch hands and rather bow to one another.<\/p>\n
In the West, the concept of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal space\u00e2\u20ac\u009d is far different from the East. In the West, we value our \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal space\u00e2\u20ac\u009d (and it tends to be pretty far). But in the East, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153personal space\u00e2\u20ac\u009d practically doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t exist (apparently in countries with higher populations, people are generally closer together).<\/p>\n
![\"NYC,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Image-1-22-2000x1299.jpg?resize=1180%2C766\")
Your life is short. Why play according to the rules of society?<\/p>\n
Of course there are certain societal rules you must follow \u00e2\u20ac\u201d pay your taxes, and don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t kill anybody else. But besides that, you can create your own rules of life.<\/p>\n
We have a lot more freedom in our lives than we think we do. But the problem is\u00e2\u20ac\u201d we succumb to societal pressures.<\/p>\n
The reason why a lot of us succumb to societal pressures is from fear. We are scared we will lose our jobs, our families, and our loved ones. The worst fear we have isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t death\u00e2\u20ac\u201d it is being ostracized and kicked out by society. I think in our DNA, not<\/em> being part of a social structure is worse than death.<\/p>\n But you live in the modern world, where you shouldn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fear death\u00e2\u20ac\u201d or being abandoned by society. The truth is the internet gives us freedom to meet anybody we want to, and converse with people with similar beliefs.<\/p>\n In most countries, we can afford rent, and pay for our food and water. We might not be rich, or well-off, but we usually have enough<\/em> (at least in terms of basic survival).<\/p>\n I feel the ultimate goal in life is to have personal freedom \u00e2\u20ac\u201d to spend our mental energy, time, and efforts in doing what we want to do. To do creative work, to empower ourselves and empower others. To be useful to other humans, and to have a purposeful life.<\/p>\n The irony is that often we have to break away from societal rules, to better help society.<\/p>\nDon’t fear<\/h2>\n
![\"NYC,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Image-15-2000x1334.jpg?resize=1180%2C787\")
Personal freedom<\/h2>\n
![\"NYC,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Image-1-17-2-2000x1334.jpg?resize=1180%2C787\")
![\"NYC,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/Image-1-11-2000x1334.jpg?resize=1180%2C787\")