Welcome to The Upgrade – your weekly dose of insights, reflection, and a challenge to break free from the illusion of freedom. This week, we’re diving into a topic that’ll make you rethink what true liberty really is. Let’s explore how the freedom you think you have might be the very thing that’s holding you back. Ready to unchain yourself? Let’s dive in!

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Philosophical Insights

Jean-Paul Sartre, one of the greatest philosophers of existentialism, challenges us with an uncomfortable idea:

Sartre reminds us that true freedom isn’t just the absence of external constraints, but the ability to choose what imprisons us. When we surrender to immediate desires or seek instant gratification, we’re placing ourselves in an invisible cage. The freedom we so often long for is, in many ways, an illusion because we remain prisoners of our own choices and impulses.

However, this is also an opportunity. Every choice, even the small ones, is a chance to create a new kind of freedom. If, instead of following our immediate desires, we choose the more difficult, disciplined path, we are building a freedom that’s worth having. We’re no longer slaves to our whims, but beginning to take control over our lives.

Actionable Lesson

• Ask yourself: What prisons am I choosing?

• Reflect on your daily habits and decisions. Are you imprisoning yourself with what seems like "freedom," or are you truly free to act based on reason and what’s best for you in the long run?

As we dive deeper into this week’s topic, we’ll explore how the illusion of freedom can often trap us in patterns of comfort and self-indulgence. What we might think of as personal freedom—the ability to follow our desires—is actually a form of captivity. This week, we challenge the common belief that freedom equals doing what we want, and instead, we’ll uncover the powerful truth: true freedom lies in the ability to choose the difficult, but necessary path.

Freedom is Doing What You Don't Want

Remember when you were a teenager and thought your parents were medieval jailers?

You just wanted to stay out late, eat pizza for breakfast and live without responsibilities, but there they were, with absurd rules like “make your bed”, “do the dishes”, “don't spend all your money on nonsense” and the classic “my house, my rules. When you're in yours, you can do whatever you want”.

Back then, it seemed obvious: freedom was doing what you want, when you want, without anyone telling you otherwise.

After all, if someone makes your decisions for you, you're not free, right?

But what if I told you that doing only what you want is also a form of imprisonment?

The Illusion of Freedom Based on Desire

We grow up, we leave our parents' house and we can finally do whatever we want.

Do you want to eat a hamburger for breakfast? You can.

Do you want to stay up all night watching random videos and wake up at three in the afternoon? You can do that too.

Do you want to spend all your salary on the first weekend? Your bank even encourages you to.

And then, after a while, a strange feeling hits you…

Your wallet is empty, your body is tired, deadlines are piling up and you realize that you are trapped – but now in a cage that you built yourself.

The truth is that following only what we want, without discipline or structure, makes us slaves to our own impulses. It seems like freedom, but in practice, it is as if we had put a 14-year-old teenager in control of our financial, professional, and emotional lives.

(And let's face it, this inner teenager only wants pizza and video games.)

Kant and the Freedom That Nobody Wants

The philosopher Immanuel Kant had a brutal idea about freedom. According to him, being free means not doing what we want but acting according to reason—even when it goes against our momentary desires.

In other words, true freedom lies in doing what we don't want to do.

It seems counterintuitive, but think about it:

A writer who writes even without inspiration is freer than someone who waits for the urge to come.

Athletes who train in the rain are freer than those who only exercise when they "feel like it."

Professionals who constantly study are freer than those who only learn when they need to.

This happens because those who only do what they want are always reacting to the moment, while those who do what is necessary are building a future.

Signs That Your Desires Are Holding You Back

If freedom means not being a slave to your impulses, here are some signs that you may be more trapped than you think:

• Chronic Procrastination – You always find a reason to put off what needs to be done.

• Lack of Discipline – You only act when you "feel like it."

• A Constant Search for Immediate Pleasure – Social media, shopping, food, entertainment… anything to avoid boredom.

• Avoidance of Discomfort – You shy away from challenges because you prefer the security of what you already know.

• The Feeling of Lack of Time – But in reality, much of the time is spent on distractions.

Nietzsche called this “herd mentality” – living according to automatic impulses without really choosing anything.

(Translation: we’re acting like a golden retriever after a treat.)

True Freedom Is in Choosing the Hard Thing

The irony of adulthood is that when we were kids, we thought our parents were limiting us. But often, they were protecting us from ourselves.

Now, with no one telling us what to do, the only solution is to be our own parents.

This means making tough decisions, following rules we’ve created for ourselves, and most importantly, choosing the hard way over the convenient way.

How to Free Yourself from the Addiction of Desire?

1. Establish Fixed Routines – Don’t wait for motivation, create habits.

2. Make Discomfort Your Ally – Do small, difficult things every day.

3. Eliminate Unnecessary Distractions – Your time and attention are limited, protect them.

4. Say “No” More Often – The fewer impulsive decisions, the more space for the important ones.

5. Redefine Freedom – It’s not about doing what you want, but about not being hostage to your own impulses.

Conclusion: The Freedom That Nobody Wants

If freedom were just “doing what you want”, any addicted person would be free. But we know that true freedom requires effort, discipline, and choosing the least comfortable but most meaningful path.

So, the next time your desire wants to take you down the easy path, stop and reflect:

Being free is about consciously choosing, not being led by what is convenient.

Final question: Are you in control or is your 14-year-old self still running your life?

Oh, and if you enjoyed this, why not share it on your socials? Let’s spread the upgrade—because we’re pretty sure others would love it too.

Until next time, stay sharp and keep upgrading.

Cheers,
Eduardo Krett
Editor-in-Chief, The Upgrade