Very often people associate the word Freedom with "free lunch", this consensus is so misguiding and even fallacious. And "free lunch" also echoes very little to no personal responsibility at all.
Being the receiving hand is always enjoyable but the problem is that every time we accept something apparently free of charge, we create a metaphysical obligation to return a favor. Even if it is not obvious in the first place.
And why?
Simply because Nature endlessly gives away without any discrimination. That's what we need to emulate to foster peace and abundance at our own level of awareness. When materialism stands in the way, we act out of self-interest instead of genuinely caring without anticipating any reciprocation.
Acts of generosity will always come back to us daily in one form or another.
It just is that we are so used to controlling outcomes that our civilization has lost all synchronicity with Life. There are many angles to look from but they all tell the same story: we cannot beat Nature's serendipity.
This is how the Universal Laws works because energy is continuously recycled, but the "recycling effect" doesn't operate at the same "speed" for everybody, this is because the luckiest have to help the less lucky. The intent is, of course, a determining factor but that remains arguable because the intent without awareness does not fly far either. Here are we, back to square one!
The topic easily could be turned into a 200-page book and but that is not our goal today.
Everything is the result of complex synergy, and that means that the concept of "free lunch" does not exist. The Universe even regards "free lunch" as an aberration but society nonetheless teaches us that "free lunches" are available if one is smart enough to generate them!
Think of all these freebies we like to get in the so-called rich West then look at the world state of affairs... does that speak volumes enough?
There lies the popularity of socialism but generally, people quickly forget that taxation is behind any "free lunch", and when they don't they go back in the line for additional "free lunches", thinking that being taxpayers gives them extra entitlements. Capitalism does that too for corporations, business leaders, and lawmakers are continually showered with perks of all kinds. For them, slave labor is also a form of "free lunch".
The big picture tells another story and the realization will be painful: "free lunches" are the enemies of Freedom. But as long as money exists, getting rid of them is a fantasy. In a coercion-free environment though, benevolence synchronizes exchanges, which makes the system more resilient and flexible. A materialist premise does not do that as the ego disrupts the equilibrium. Spontaneity has been taken out of the equation.
The concept of Freedom is absolute as it doesn't tolerate any game-playing and requires the full comprehension of the "law of giving". If not willing to wake up every day ready to do some community work or/and help a neighbor, a free society will never exist.
Never.
One is free or not. Free to notice of not.
And Freedom without remaining in symbiosis with the environment simply cannot be.