Resilience of Conscious Independence
Independence is often narrowly understood as physical freedom from colonisation or the release of individuals from rules imposed by colonisers. In a historical context, independence is indeed defined as a nation’s liberation from the grip of colonialism.
This differs from the contemporary context, the here and now, and the personal. In a personal context, we often interpret it as the freedom to do whatever we wish without external pressure.
Although every existing entity always experiences a push and pull caused by two camps possessing energy (ego, id and superego), this means there are always parties or poles that respond to every movement made by every existing entity (which possesses energy).
This condition is supported by the emergence of an era of information transfer that moves rapidly, adapting algorithms with all their distortions. This situation certainly raises the question of whether we are truly in a state of independence of soul and body.
Another question also arises: are we truly free to control the actions and thoughts that arise from impulses, trends, or the tendency towards information manipulation? These questions emerge as a response to the reality of phenomena present in recent social interactions.
From a different perspective, perhaps independence can be understood as conscious independence. Independence that is no longer merely a status of being free, but rather an active process involving full awareness of every life choice.
True independence requires a deeper dimension in the form of awareness (mindfulness). Conscious independence is an idea about freedom accompanied by moral and ethical awareness so as not to risk falling into destructive freedom (chaos).
Independence that integrates self-awareness, social responsibility, and freedom of thought means individuals are not only free to act, but also aware of the impact of every choice made. Conscious independence becomes the primary attachment in shaping a wise, empathetic, and competitive society in the post-modern era.
The concept of conscious independence also does not stop at understanding and responsibility for freedom, but also requires resilience in order to survive amidst rapid change, global crises, and digital disruption.
The resilience of conscious independence is the ability of individuals and society to maintain freedom of thought, emotion, and wise action even under pressure or uncertainty. Mental toughness, ethical adaptability, and the endurance of moral values become the spirit so that conscious independence is not shaken by information manipulation or social crises.
Conscious independence connects at least two core elements: the space of freedom and critical awareness. The space of freedom is enlivened to sow the seeds of growth in the exchange of ideas and the continuity of dialectics with nature and all its contents.
Critical awareness is the perfecting step so that every individual is able to maintain their sanity in reading, understanding, and implementing every response to existing reality. Without awareness, freedom of action is often merely an automatic reaction (symmetrical buying and selling) to an environment that has destructive tendencies.
Awareness allows a person to act authentically, in accordance with the values and moral principles they believe in. Conscious independence in social practice can be realised through at least three main pillars that need to be built:
- Self-Awareness
Recognising impulses, limitations, and prejudices within oneself. True independence begins when a person is no longer colonised by uncontrolled emotions or personal ego. Thus, responses to the reality of social phenomena are not hasty and always filter truth and moral ethics.
Neville Goddard (2025) in The Power of Awareness states that awareness is the only reality; awareness is the first and only causal substance of life’s phenomena. Therefore, awareness must be awakened in every individual with all its attachments to serve as a provision in every social interaction.
- Accountability for Choices
Freedom of action always goes hand in hand with consequences. A consciously independent person understands that every decision has an impact, both on oneself, others, and the environment.
This responsibility is also a logical consequence of the attachment of human free will. Responsibility is a right that must be taken by every individual because of their conscious attachment.
Like two inseparable sides of a coin, responsibility for the choices made necessitates inherent rights. Rights given by God to perfect humanity with all its inherent uniqueness.
Only this attachment needs to be recalled from every individual. This is in line with the opinion of Ibn Miskawayh, a philosopher of the 5th century AH, in his book Philosophy of Ethics: The Path to the Highest and Complete Happiness (2025), which states that the substance of humans has a distinctive action not possessed by anything else among all creatures in the world, as we have previously explained, because humans are the noblest creatures in our world.
But if actions that correspond to their substance do not emerge from humans, then we liken them to a horse that, if unable to perform the actions of a horse perfectly, will be used like camping with a simple saddle, and its existence is lighter than its non-existence.
- Critical Thinking