We, as Americans, like to root for those who choose freedom over safety and picture ourselves in their situations, making the same choices. However, when faced with the same situation in reality, humans will prioritize their safety over anything else

Although in American culture, it may seem like humans yearn to be free even when it compromises their safety and lives, it is simply a fantasy that American culture promotes. In a popular Disney movie, Tangled, the main character, Rapunzel, escapes from her tower, and even as she faces danger outside, she never attempts to retreat into her safe tower, showing how she chooses freedom over safety time and time again. However, that is most often not the entire picture. Tangled is a fictitious movie encapsulating the unrealistic American ideal of always choosing freedom over safety. Since America was founded as a country through a war that risked many lives to fight for freedom, choosing freedom over safety is a nationalistic bond that connects all Americans and runs in the “American blood”. As such, perpetual idealizations of risking your life for freedom permeate every corner of American culture such as in movies like Tangled. However, these movies and cultural notions are often exaggerated to realistically unachievable heights and do not fully encompass people’s thoughts or behaviors. It shows us what we want, not who we are. 

However much Americans may yearn for freedom, in reality, the desire to be safe is innate in all organisms and humans will always prioritize their life over freedom. According to Darwin’s theory of evolution, living beings are evolved to be what they are because their traits are the most fitted for survival. Thus, the drive to seek safety and survive longer is ingrained in each and every one of our physical aspects, rooted in the most basic functions of living such as breathing or eating. Since this drive for survival is the absolute foundation of all our actions, it overrides our drive for freedom if the safety of our lives is ever compromised. The desire to be safe is not only rooted in our biological foundations but also in our society. Recently, the influx of COVID-19 cases, a grave pandemic, caused a government-mandated lockdown in multiple countries. Though the lockdown compromised people’s freedom to go outside and hang out with others, many complied and did their best to contain the spread of the virus. As such, people willingly gave up their freedom to do as they wanted to be safely shielded from the virus, showing that despite how most people desire to socialize, they ultimately chose the safety of their lives over their freedom.

Even in cases where it may seem that humans choose freedom over safety, people only choose to be free rather than safe because they don’t perceive the risk of picking the free option. Amidst the lockdown, many deliberately chose to go outside, not wear masks, and refuse vaccinations. These were usually people who did not have family or friends who might potentially face lethal dangers if they caught the virus and didn’t perceive the threat of the spread of COVID-19. This shows that those in a position of perceived safety, such as people who didn’t see the danger of COVID-19, would be willing to fight for freedom. Still, those in danger of losing themself or their loved ones to COVID-19 were willing to compromise their freedom to get to a safer place. 

While many would rather choose freedom over the objectively safe option, people will always revert to safety when their perceived safety is compromised.