About Security

Security is part of daily life. Nature has built the body with defence and healing abilities. In order to maintain life, we need to secure various properties. We secure food to feed on, we build our houses to be safe and we even secure our technology. All the time, we see examples of security. With a little practice, security becomes second nature and a natural way of thinking and we can relax when our security needs are settled.

As long as we can’t control the natural elements, people are victims to damage. Whatever causes for the damage, we want to safeguard our lives and make sure the damages are minimised or eliminated. A basic example is to look out for and map the location of sharp rocks in the garden, so you know where they are and can avoid falling on them. Further security can be to clear away the rocks completely. Advanced security could be to have an army to secure your country. All these simple and complex security measures are there to support our lives. Life becomes dependent on security and security supports life.

After we build our lives, we acquire more and more things and we get attached to them. We feel like our physical belongings are a part of our own selves. Losing or damaging our property becomes like harming oneself. At some point, we gather so much stuff that we lose track of everything. To secure our belongings becomes important. Various cheap or expensive security measures can be applied, in such cases. We can lock our house, buy a safe, or even hire a security guard to protect our property.

Security is always fluctuating in accordance with the changes of life. The factor that works for some people is not constant for everyone. It needs to be tailored to the actual necessity of the person in context. Various security measures are created to suit the situation and circumstances.

The sanctity of life must be secured. The fear of losing life is imminent in people, whether they admit it or not. Therefore, security measures of all kinds are applied everywhere. We can secure as much life as we can, up to the point where security will rather overflow and be detrimental for life. The golden middle way is crucial when making up the limits for security, so life can unfold undisturbed.

The philosophical points touched upon here are just the basic security we find everywhere in nature. Life needs security to perpetuate and evolve. It’s up to the individual to work out his own security measures to sustain life.

Freedom in itself also means security. For example, to be sure to breathe the free air and move freely.

The “global war on terror” has gradually made it difficult to be a free citizen in this world. In the name of security, there has been implemented a lot of unrealistic laws, all around the world. The freedom of the people has been sacrificed, in order to create security. For example, every person must register for a biometric ID-card with a chip. This is similar to the Jews in the 1930’s who had to wear a mark on their clothes. The authorities call it “protection”, though it’s detrimental for freedom.

To give up your freedom for a bit of security is like a self-made prison. You paint yourself inside a corner and actually end up with less security. The freedom once enjoyed before the war is now dubious and too much security is like wearing a straight jacket, because we’re no longer responsible for ourselves, since we’re hopelessly in the arms of the government. To live free is to be responsible for our own lives, and when we’re reduced to little kids in the care of our “parents”, we learn not to be free adults.

Sometimes, security can’t control freedom. An example is the cryptocurrency Bitcoin, which is like anonymous cash. It’s true that you have to give up your identity to buy it, though afterwards, you can move the Bitcoin from wallet to wallet to leave no trace. When you exchange the Bitcoin back to normal currency, the money is all yours. This way, the cumbersome identification process is simply a useless attempt to control the free flow of money in society.

The recent governments’ idea of collecting and analysing public information is seen as worrisome by the public. In reality, there’s limited use of this mass gathering of information. The intelligence agencies might pick up a trace of their enemies once in a while, though this is already known from before, so they keep their information hidden. The feeling of intrusive prying eyes into the lives of the civilian public is just a temporary disturbance that is acceptable in the long run. Because most normal people have nothing special to hide and being open about your life is actually to the betterment of the individuals. The authorities might even become envious of the lives of normal people.

The truth is that freedom of information, also means the freedom to control your information. In modern days, it has become possible to control more of your information, like selecting who to send your information to, delete your messages and online accounts. There will always be some of your information spread around in the world, though you can disappear from the public internet if you wish. Perhaps your name will be somewhere out there, without any sensitive information available. Those who have honest intentions don’t need to shroud their information in darkness. Those who absolutely want to hide themselves will already know how, anyway.

The point is that wherever your information goes, either it’s useless or it’s protected by the law and very seldom, your information with the government will be published, which is the only information that is controversial. If you want to be tight about your information, it’s not too difficult to hide your tracks. This world functions in the way that very little can be known about the actions and whereabouts of the person who wants to be “private”. This way, the eyes who want to see too much are as good as blind.

Freedom and security complement each other and the level of security should balance with the assurance of freedom.