Question

The pipe under your kitchen sink springs a leak and you call in a plumber. A few days later you get a bill for $40. At the bottom is a note saying that if you don’t pay within 30 days, there’ll be a 10 percent service charge of $4. You feel trapped, with no desirable alternative. You pay $40 now or $44 later.
Now make two small changes in the script. The plumber sends you a bill for $44, but the note says that if you pay within 30 days you’ll get a special $4 discount. Now you feel pretty good. You have two alternatives, one of which will save you $4.
In fact, your choices are the same in both cases—pay $40 now or $44 later—but your feelings about them are different. This illustrates a subject we’ve been studying for several years: What makes people feel free and why does feeling free make them happy? One factor we’ve studied is that individuals feel freer when they can choose between positive alternatives (delaying payment or saving $4) rather than between negative ones (paying immediately or paying $4 more).

How do the authors answer the question, “What is freedom?” in the first three paragraphs of the essay?

can anyone help me with this question? plss thanks!

Answer 1

Freedom in the essays are choices. The person doesn't feel free when they can't benefit.
Feeling free is what we are taught that when you know you have options and you are able to control or decide what the outcome may be.