3. Visionary humanism

Freedom, sensitivity, and the power that makes us human

Over the years, I have discovered many things about the role our sensitive nature plays in our lives. I have also come to understand what I call visionary power—the quiet force that helps us shape our life from within. Whoever learns to coach themselves, to listen and act from that inner source, holds in their hands the key to becoming free.

But what is freedom as the goal of self-coaching?
What is the positive meaning of our sensitivity?
What does it add to our success—and how does visionary power set us free in the truest sense of the word?

Freedom is not a denial of our humanity but its expression. It is something natural, something that fits us like a second skin. Freedom and humanism belong together.

Freedom is, above all, an inner attitude. It does not merely depend on circumstances. A person may live freely and still feel trapped — or live under hardship and still feel free. Freedom begins within.

To master freedom, you must master it inwardly. Whatever we endure, we still possess—or can regain—this inner freedom. It is the hidden spring that nourishes our visionary power.

Think of those whose strength lies in standing up for the rights and dignity of others. Often, they face resistance so fierce that their own freedom is taken from them. And yet, even behind bars, their inner freedom endures—a freedom that no hand can seize. Their inner strength becomes greater than the chains that bind them.

In that sense, we can speak of two levels of freedom.
There is inner freedom—the freedom of the heart, the freedom of the mind.
And there is outer freedom—the freedom of conditions, of social and material life.

Does the one replace the other? Never. They are intertwined.
No person can live without outer freedom, just as no structure can stand without an inner foundation. Even in prison, we seek outward glimpses of freedom—a breath of air, a memory, a conversation, a dream. When all outer freedom disappears, even the strongest spirit begins to fade.

And prison can be understood broadly.
Every act of humiliation, every form of abuse, and every denial of dignity is a kind of prison that leaves traces on the soul. Let us not do this to one another. Let us affirm, instead, each other’s need for freedom—both inner and outer.

If visionary power is truly liberating, then those with a high humanistic sensitivity are among the most visionary of all. It is part of this power to understand and respect the humanity in ourselves and in others.

As I wrote in the introduction, being a visionary is not about predicting the future — it is about tapping into the deeper strength within us, the strength that allows us to act meaningfully and live authentically. Humanity’s ultimate goal is freedom, and we need our visionary power to see the road ahead clearly, to know whether we are walking toward that land of freedom or away from it.

We embody visionary humanism when we share this power positively with others—when we use it not to dominate, but to uplift; not to isolate, but to connect.

And perhaps this is what freedom truly means:
not the absence of constraint,
but the presence of compassion.

So take a moment to look at your own life.
Where do you still feel unfree?
What would it mean to release that weight—not by escaping, but by transforming it from within?
Each small act of understanding, each gesture of kindness, is already a form of liberation.

Freedom begins within you,
but it becomes complete only when it touches another life.