Everyday Freedom: A Symbol of Self-Realization
In the modern world, the concept of freedom has ceased to be something unattainably elevated—it has become the foundation of our daily life. At the same time, the tradition of writing the word "freedom" in lowercase carries a profound symbolic meaning: it does not claim the status of a sacred entity, but remains a simple and accessible attribute of each person's existence.Historically, in the titles of holidays dedicated to saints, it is customary to write words in lowercase if they are not names or designations of unique events. This approach accentuates that many concepts, although important in their meaning, remain part of ordinary, everyday experience. A similar idea is beautifully reflected in the understanding of freedom—not as an abstract, mystical notion, but as the opportunity to be oneself, to realize one’s personality, and to find one’s place in the world.The very word "freedom" is deeply embedded in language: it includes the idea of being and belonging, implying that each of us is responsible for discovering our own "self" and achieving our stage of independence. This is not merely a rule of orthography, but a full reflection of how modern society perceives freedom—as a practical life principle essential for complete self-realization.Thus, adhering to the orthographic standard is just one way to show that freedom belongs to each of us and does not require elevation to the level of something mystically exceptional. It inspires active participation in life, confirming that to be free means to live life to the fullest, to realize one’s dreams, and to pursue personal goals.
What might it mean to state that the word "freedom" is always written in lowercase, and how does this reflect the modern understanding of freedom?The assertion that the word "freedom" is always written in lowercase carries not so much a purely orthographic meaning as a symbolic one. In one of the cited sources, it is noted that in the names of holidays dedicated to saints, all words (except those that denote special names or events) are written in lowercase. It is stated there:"In the names of holidays dedicated to saints, unless an event or circumstance related to the establishment of the holiday is specified, all words are written in lowercase: the memory of the prophet Elijah, the memory of the Holy Martyr Ermogena, the Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus’. The word 'Week' in the sense of 'Sunday' is written with a capital letter (even in the plural—to distinguish it from sedmitsa): Week of the Tax Collector and the Pharisee, Week of the Blind, Week of the Samaritan. Therefore, the word 'freedom' is always written in lowercase." (source: document_id_or_name.pdf, page: 55)This orthographic standard underlines that the concept of freedom is not exalted to the level of a unique, sacred name or an exclusive value, but is perceived as a basic, everyday quality of human existence—a common attribute rather than an exceptional one. This corresponds to the modern understanding of freedom as the ability of a person to realize their "self" and to pursue their life mission without unnecessarily elevating the concept into the mysterious or mythologized.Additional support for this approach is provided in the analysis of the word’s semantics in Russian. One document draws attention to its composite structure:"The Russian word freedom contains the verb 'to be' with the pronoun 'one's own.' Therefore, in essence, this word signifies the realization of one’s being, the discovery of one’s place in the world—the state of independence." (source: document_id_or_name.pdf, page: 279)This emphasizes that freedom is seen as the possibility of being oneself, of finding and occupying one’s place in the world, aligning with modern ideas of personal and social freedom. It is understood not as something exalted or immaterial, but as an essential condition for the complete self-realization of the individual.Thus, writing the word "freedom" in lowercase symbolically indicates its inclusion among a range of common, everyday concepts accessible to everyone, rather than marking it as something unattainably high or mystically special. This harmonizes with the modern understanding of freedom as a practical life principle, realized through personal independence and active participation in society.