Prioritizing freedom of speech over the right to privacy

Freedom of speech and the right to privacy are two entities that are vital in a democratic society. On many occasions, both work hand in hand and grant a person the ability to express themselves, and they should keep some information and details to themselves without any intrusion. In a nutshell, both are highly important, but what would I go for if I had to choose between them?

Firstly, before we dive into my opinion and what I'll choose, it's highly important that we understand what freedom of speech and the right to privacy are collectively and then individually. Thereafter, I can tell you why I'll go for it and the reason behind my choice, so without further ado, let me get to the details.

• So what are freedom of speech and the right to privacy collectively?: It's worth noting that both are fundamental human rights that validate the entity of what a democratic society prophesies, so in a nutshell, both are essential before a government can be said to be for the people, to the people, and by the people. So with that being understood, let's now look at each one individually.

• WHAT IS FREEDOM OF SPEECH?: According to my understanding, freedom of speech is the bedrock of any democratic society because it grants every individual the ability to express their ideas, mindset, criticism leaders, and several others without being oppressed or silenced from doing so. Its importance can never be overemphasized, because without it, such a society is without authocratic or dictatorial leadership. Just like I said, it's what fine-tunes a democratic society. Imagine criticizing a military leader in an autocratic system; such a person is as good as gone.

• WHAT IS THE RIGHT TO PRIVACY?: This, in my opinion, is the right to keep one's information or other vital stuff away from public intrusion. Wanting privacy for our information and how we do things doesn't necessarily mean we are being secretive; it simply means having the right to conceive of what we want the general public to know about us without interference and, in the process, preserving our dignity.

• MAKING A CHOICE: Now that each one is well understood and the differences between both are identified, I believe you'll agree with me that virtually every human will want to preserve both because they're vital to our being and lifestyle, but then, in reference to the focal point of this topic, I'll be making a choice between both, and my choice would be having FREEDOM OF SPEECH above the right to privacy. I know you'll be filled with many questions as to why I'm choosing it over the other. Well, I also have loads of questions for myself, given the fact that I'm an introvert who loves to keep to myself, so without further ado, let's know why.

• WHY?: Well, like I said, I'm also surprised by my choice, given the fact that I'm an introvert and I don't really like letting much of me out to the general public. But after critical thinking and analysis of both, I've come to realize that the right to privacy is most about me conceiving some of the information I want others to know about me, and that I can easily just need to change my lifestyle in order not to have what would implicate me when such information gets out.

• But not having freedom of speech means I'll have to be silent in the face of oppression, unfair situations, and things that I'm not pleased with. I'm not the type of person who loves to keep quiet, and just like the common saying, a close mouth is a close destiny, keeping quiet in unpleasant situations means you're please, it's it, and such can continue because you'll be able to endure it. Now I'm not the type who can live such a lifestyle, so that's why I'm choosing freedom of speech.

• HOW DOES THIS AFFECT ME?: Well, like I said above, this choice literally puts me in the open, which isn't something I like as an introvert because loads of people will now get to know more about me, but I guess I'm fine with that and can live with it. Everyone has their dark side, and even if mine is exposed to the general public, I don't think it'll be a big deal compared to some ridiculous ones we've got out there. Overall, how this will affect me is that I'll have to be conscious of what I do and the kind of personality I express out there, be it online or in person.

That's about it for now. I hope you enjoyed the read and understand why I chose what I chose above the others. The writeup was prompted by the Hive Learners community.

Note: Thumbnails in this article were designer on canva and you can confirm here, here and here. Thanks so much for your time. Have a wonderful week ahead.