Definitions
One can choose what to do, but not what to want.
Arthur Schopenhauer
A direct translation reads: der mensch kann tun was er will; er kann aber nicht wollen was er will. Or man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills. That much is true and we've developed more problems by restraining our will or the will of others.
Let's consider a sample of people who've experienced trauma. In a study, those who had something to hide had a greater frequency of health problems. And...
Follow-up surveys conducted with other participants showed that health problems seemed to ensue only when people who were traumatized early in life failed to tell other of their experience. The studies indicate that victims of traumas who do reveal their thoughts and feelings to others tend to feel awful during the confession--but show measurable improvements in immune function and general health, as well as reduced physiological signs of stress, in the months that follow.
Daniel M. Wegner, White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts
These are quite often those who were sexually repressed and abused. Yes, very very unfortunate and disgusting, but important in what it says about how we function: the freedom of self-expression is pivotal to our health.
Yet, between the legal, religious, and social influences of society, we've become discomforted by our own thoughts and individual beauties. In turn, we isolate our self from the judgement and criticism of others and "escape" reality by indulging in the entertainment of a more pleasant perspective.
Or, some of us sample the severity of our circumstances (horror movies, news, etc) to justify their lack of social participation. They feel connected to the truths of reality. Still, the fact that millions of people work a quarter of their lives to escape from "pressures" of society, it's indicative of social decline.
We're an absolutely fantastic and absurdly gorgeous existence. Why escape it?
Instead, we should be committed to mutually satisfying activities: sex being one of them. It's atrocious that we restrain those interested in pleasuring others as a means of self satisfaction. There's no reason to guilt or label criminal those who benefit another's existence.
Meanwhile, war and torture remains legal.
Not to mention, our law raises capital for both opponents in conflict. For instance, the laws prohibiting drugs are supported by our taxes. Then there's those who will pay the production costs and any additional costs necessary to evade the law.
It's the taxes, evasion, and additional losses (life, liberty, etc) that determines the total cost of established law. Our laws create economies, that's the optimistic perspective, but it's more blissful than anything. Yay! Millions of consumers travel to cities with fewer legal and social consequence to spend their hard-earned paychecks on inflated prices which wouldn't exist if not due to their own taxes.
But but but... the economy has importance to our society and there's a difference between prohibition and regulation. The difference is the money we spend supporting it. And if it becomes a substantial cost, then it's possible that we're holding our people to unrealistic standards.
Maybe we're not creating a dream, but a nightmare. Where we're surrounded by bureaucracy and restraint labeled as freedom; that we're free to be what's chosen for us. Until we're living a paradigm that's peppered with the illusion of choice. A labyrinth of production with the tease of escape; is that what we've become?
It feels like it. And if we're to return to something healthier standard, then we should live by an ideal:
To treat others as they want to be treated.
It's not the same as do unto others as you would have them do unto you. It accounts for their perspective and requires the effort of understanding their opinion. A person should be allowed to experience anything, under the provision that it doesn't inhibit the livelihood of others.
It's the liberty to live. It's being empathetic to those who give empathy to us. That's what's healthy for us; that's freedom.