If you were to ask 100 people on the street:
Would you rather be free or slave
The results would be unsurprising. Everyone would chose to be free!
However, there really isn't a choice, no person is ever truly free. The better question would be.
Which Master do you choose to serve?
PART ONE
What is freedom? What is slavery?
Talk about a loaded topic!
In my opinion:
When most people think of slavery they think of something like this:
But by definition :
Sure in the image above the woman is not free by condition #1 : They are captive.
It's condition #2 that traps everyone else. "Free of restraints. Free of control or interference". It is here where the majority of people are slaves often without even knowing it!
Don't believe me?
How about some examples!
Slave to your cellphone, social media, email, contacts, etc.
It has been said that people are just as anxious when they lose their cellphone as they are when a close family member dies. Why? Because they are a slave to their cellphone. It sends a beep and you have to check the message. It rings in the morning and you have to wake up. It sends an email and you have to reply.
Why do people go for "tech free weekends" to rid themselves of their taskmaster for a little while.
Or how about this one!
America is often said to be the land of the free. In reality most people there are slaves to debt! How often do you wish you could just sit and relax, but the bills are coming for you. How often do you wish you could buy something only to realize there isn't money for it. When the end of the month comes and the bills come to your door... just saying "No thank you, I don't want any more" doesn't work! Those debts must be paid, the master is calling and your not free to ignore the call.
However, maybe you are one of the lucky ones without money worries and have carefully not to let technology get the better of you. Good for you, but I bet you are still a slave!
How about this example:
Source: My picture of my family!
You may think. Seriously? How is that slavery and lack of freedom!
Here's the thing. With a wife and children I am not free to just do whatever I want. I can't chase other women. I can't spend money only thinking of myself. I can't just ignore the chores and watch TV anytime I want. I have duties as a father and as a husband. I will gladly sacrifice my time, my money and freedom for the good of my family.
However, I am absolutely not free to do as I wish if I wish to have the respect and love of my family.
PART TWO
No-one is truly free because we live in a community
Consider the community around you.
Community has standards. It has to if it is going to function effectively. Even the Hive Learners community has these rules. (I hope you recognize them)
Hive Learners Rules
and society has rules as well. You can't walk around in public without clothes on. You can't take other people's property. You can't drive your car over your neighbors dog...no matter how annoying the dog is.
For society to function and for people to get along there must be rules. Every rule that gets added is another freedom taken from the individual.
Even without rules one persons freedom to choose affects another person's freedom
Choices and Consequences
One of my first bosses used to say that :
*We are free to do whatever we want in life, as long as we are willing to accept the consequences"
and I believe that is absolutely true.
- I choose to be faithful to my wife
- I choose to show up at work on time
- I choose to pay my bills when they come due
- I choose to spend time teaching and being with my children
- I choose to pick up litter while I'm walking my dog around the park
But why?
However many people ignore the consequences and abuse the freedom of others or themselves.
In my walk this morning:
Someone decided to shatter a bottle at the side of the road putting the feet of my dog in danger. Am I no longer free to walk my dog where I wish?
Someone decided to throw their empty drink cup on the road
Actually a fellow hive member 
@jjmusa2004/bad-habits-in-my-environment
Am I no longer free to live in a clean environment because of someone elses desire to throw away garbage?
Someone else decided to put their bottle in the garbage instead of returning for the refund. One more piece of plastic that isn't going where its supposed to for the worlds garbage pile to take care of.
Any my dog exercised his free will to munch on blades of grass while walking along the road. He likes to pretend he's a goat and then 10 minutes later he's retching up a pile of grassy ick
Because the world is all one community everyone's actions affect everyone else!
People often believe in their own freedom without thinking of others.
- They want the freedom to buy any vehicle they want -- without thinking of the environmental impact on others.
- Want to throw garbage wherever they want--without thinking about how everyone else has to look at it.
- Want to enjoy their music whenever they want--without thinking about the others that may not want to hear it.
- Want to have sex with whoever they want--without thinking about the emotional harm it may cause when they move on, or about the abortion they have to perform to live as they wish
- Want to use drugs or alcohol whenever they want--without thinking of the cost to themselves, their family, and society at large.
And in Canada there has been a huge fight between people who want the Covid Vaccine and those who believe that Covid is a hoax! The Anti-Vaxx people believe in their own freedom. Don't put your jab in my arm. My body my choice. Down with government oppression!
However, a fellow Hive member was proud to protect their child with vaccinations:
@jeansapphire/the-vaccination-for-the-kids
Should 
PART THREE
I believe that no-one is truly free. Everyone's action affects all the others around them. One persons desire to be rich makes another poor. One persons desire to get drunk can kill another in a vehicle accident. One persons desire to make money selling drugs can ruin the life of another.
This article was written for a Hive Learners contest "Is there such a thing as too much freedom? Absolutely! Too much freedom for one means too much restrictions on another!"
Finally...
I believe that everyone is a slave to something.
Perhaps a slave to their job. A slave to greed. A slave to lust. A slave to alcohol or drugs. A slave to their cellphone. A slave to their family.
As for me?
I'm a Christian and want to be a slave to God.
I want to serve him by doing what the bible says I should. Care for those around me. Look after the world he gave me. Be faithful to the family he provided for me. To work diligently for my employer. To obey the rules of the nation he's placed me in.
To quote the bible:
Joshua 24:15 NLT
Or in my words. Everyone chooses to serve someone. Serve yourself. Serve money and wealth. Serve lust and desire. However, I choose to serve God.
Thanks for reading