How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World

This book is an attempt to apply libertarian philosophy as a template for a person’s entire life instead of just for the political realm, with most of its advice concerning personal relationships.

“You have tremendous control over your life, but you give up that control when you try to control others.”

The author tells you to embrace other people’s natures while listening to your own, and to go after your own interests above all others, even that of your family. This book could be retitled “Finding Freedom Through Selfishness,” and it’s pretty close to how I’ve been living my life the past ten years.

Instead of trying to change the broken culture I come from, change American women, or change bosses I didn’t like, I simply constructed a lifestyle from the ground up based on my personality and needs. Instead of protesting and trying to change the world, I changed myself (starting with learning game) and worked around the system to get what I want. This strategy has worked for me.

“You’re in the identity trap when you try to be interested in something because it’s expected of you, or when you try to do the things that others have said you should do, or when you try to live up to an image that others say is the only legitimate, valid image you’re allowed to have.”

The book encourages you not to bother trying to change the world. Work on changing yourself and finding your own happiness. Let other people waste their energy in fruitless endeavors where they must convince thousands or millions of people in order to make small, incremental changes. Fuck the herd and beat to your own drum.

“Improve your own situation without having to go to the trouble of making others agree with your way of thinking.”

Read this book if you want a great motivator to get off your ass and make a big change. All the excuses you probably make to prevent yourself from acting will be addressed in this book, which is like a 4-Hour Workweek from the 1970s that covers all aspects of your life instead of just money.

“There’s always a way [to happiness]—as long as you’re not looking for ways to change others.”

ISBN: 0965603679
[How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World]

(Originally reviewed at RooshV.com)

15 thoughts on “How I Found Freedom In An Unfree World”

  1. Thanks for mentioning this fantastic book but you didn’t mention the author Harry Browne. Harry Browne, who unfortunately dies 5 years ago, was one of the most underrated proponents of personal freedom in our time. Check out his other books, especially “Why Goverment Doesn’t Work”, if you’re a person with an inquisitive mind.

  2. The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion.
    -Albert Camus
    Amazing blog Roosh

  3. Here’s a book for you – Empire of the Summer Moon by Sam Gwynne. It’s about the war between the Comanche and the Texas Rangers. Who knew the last war chief of the Comanche was half white? Good read but not for the faint- hearted.

  4. Does he go into other ways that we give up our freedom, such as debt and need of comfort?
    Debt is obvious, but when you _require_ electricity, a soft bed, a warm house and delicious food, you can be subtly coerced into trading bits of your freedom for it.
    They often say the freedom is being able to walk away, and that’s true in many spheres.

  5. I read this 2 months ago. Coming from a mostly liberal background, it was pretty revolutionary. I’ve been suggesting it to all my smart friends so I could bounce the concepts around and see if they still stand up.

  6. I read this book twenty years ago right after high school and it changed my life more than anything I’ve read. After reading it I passed it to one of my best friends who was in the Marines at that time. He read it, then immediately devised a way to get himself kicked out of the Marines without a dishonorable discharge. The book has a profound affect on a lot of people that read it.
    The author was the Libertarian presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000.
    It’s been years since the last time I read it and I’m just going off memory, but I think there were times I felt the self-centered view towards other people and society – basically don’t give a shit about anybody except yourself – to be a little depressing. If everybody took the book literally what would be the conclusion? A society similar to Mad Max? I’d rather watch that on TV than live in it.
    Is it a stretch to say that the teachings in the book need some people not to follow it in order for it to be most successful?
    Regardless, as a personal philosophy to live by, the way the book uses reason and logic to remove the self-imposed shackles you put on your life far outweigh my quibble. Every person should read it.

  7. “You have tremendous control over your life, but you give up that control when you try to control others.”
    I’ve (unfortunately) met several (fucking arrogant ass) dominatrixes who could easily debunk that one. While this saying may be true in some situations, there are other scenarios which demonstrate when you have power over others, you only get MORE control over your life. Not less.

  8. Interesting book but what was most disconcerting was the fact that it was written in 1973, yet can easily apply today. I was just a mere child in ’73 so my freedoms were that granted by my parents. But if Browne felt unfree back then, I can only imagine how he would feel today, but the lucky bastard died so he won’t have to see Agenda 21 commencing, as well as all the other Orwellian shit coming about.
    It is odd too that Browne was a politician because as we all know it is the politicos who are the ones that publically advocate the current status quo bullshit and still go on about how free ‘Merica is.

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