The Freedom of Being on the Road

What is this path to freedom? The film The Path to Freedom tells the story of a man who leaves behind his family, his car, his home, a successful academic career, and his financial freedom to chart a course for himself outside the system. For a person who has everything to let go of these things and create a life on their own terms—or rather, to create such an option—is what makes that path free. It has become increasingly difficult to break free from a system where the instinct to rebel—what makes us human—has been lost, and where people are pushed into exploitation by the capitalist system.

We are taught that we must constantly work within the system, save, study, succeed, do our best, and make money. For what? To live the life you want, the way you want. But what is the life you want? Since the dawn of humanity, the question of “what is the purpose of humanity” or “what is the reason for human existence” has evolved—so what do people think now? Before you’ve even had a chance to think about your purpose in life, they’ve already thrust you into a race. You decide what you want along the way.

But there’s another path outside the system. This path is stormy, rainy, and risky. Creating your own path is entirely up to you. But doesn’t it seem so much harder than what we’ve been taught?

With so many events, wars, destruction, and murders happening in the world, and the qualities that make us human diminishing day by day, it’s becoming quite difficult to talk about freedom. Perhaps this is exactly the time we need to speak up. In the film, Christopher begins his journey toward the freedom he has chosen by leaving behind his identity, his ID card, and his money. Starting this path by burning his money in particular shows that he has left a vast life behind. Leaving a mark wherever he goes and declaring, “I was here,” also reveals just how much humans fear vanishing into nothingness. Leaving behind the encoded traits that define you—without an identity—and leaving a mark on the world is another way to feel alive. Choosing both the path and the mark is entirely up to the individual. They could even market this path.

I’d like to look at this through a different example: The Nihilist Penguin. When we consider the philosophy of nihilism—which rejects the very notion of existence and views it with skepticism—the penguin, by rejecting its society and stepping outside the system, chooses a different path. Impulsively, it goes down a path that no one else would choose. Perhaps deep down, it knows it will die. We don’t know its purpose, what it wants, or who it is. Even if the end is death, it rejects the system it’s trapped in. It finds its own free path. The best way for a person to express themselves. Christopher in The Road to Freedom is happier than a nihilist, despite this rejection. He is closer to existentialist philosophy. As he questions this, he becomes more eager to live and more at peace. The path you take might make you unhappy. It might be a quagmire. You might not find what you expected, but at least that path is the one you “chose.” And that makes it free.

I’d like to leave one final note. There’s nothing worse than not knowing what you want—or knowing what you want but being unable to do it. Have you found your path in life? Or perhaps you’ve found it but are waiting for that little spark to take the first step. ✨