The only freedom worth possessing is that which gives enlargement to a people’s energy, intellect, and virtues.

Freedom is worth having for what it lets people become, not simply for the absence of restraint. A liberty that leaves everyone smaller, duller and worse behaved than before has not delivered much, whatever it is called. The test is practical: does it open up energy, thinking and decency, or does it just remove a limit and leave things emptier. The same test works on your own choices.

When you claim a freedom, ask what it is for. Then check whether the way you actually use it enlarges anything, or whether it has quietly become a licence to do less.