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Freedom vs Control

  • kurtis786
  • Oct 18
  • 3 min read

The Lie of Freedom vs Control



Kurtis Mercer wearing sunglasses and speaking into a microphone in front of a red and black background with a hand gripping a chain-link fence beside bold white text that reads “YOUR NOT A PUPPET,” symbolizing freedom vs control and breaking free from manipulation.

Most men think they want freedom, but what they actually crave is control.


This is the lifelong tension of freedom vs control — a battle between rebellion and surrender that every man has to face if he wants peace.

That’s the truth most men won’t admit. You don’t want to be free — you just don’t want to be controlled.

We tell ourselves we hate control because we think of the people who tried to shape us — parents, bosses, systems, churches. But the deeper fear isn’t about controlling others. It’s the terror of ever being controlled again.

Your Dad’s Blueprint

I saw that in my dad. He wasn’t malicious — just like his father wasn’t. He thought he knew best. He’d lived a certain life, earned certain success, and wanted to pass that down.

But what he couldn’t see was — I wasn’t him. And the more I felt pushed into his mold, the more I fought to break it.

So I rebelled. Not because I hated him — but because I needed to find me.

The Rebellion That Found Nothing

I partied. Played games. Made dumb decisions. Chased danger just to feel alive.

And even though I regret some of it — I had to go there. Because if I’d just nodded along and lived his version of “the good life, ”I’d be forty years old staring in the mirror asking, “Whose life am I even living?”

See, rebellion is often just a cry for freedom — but without direction, it turns into chaos. We break out of one cage only to build another.

The Hidden Addiction to Control

Because deep down… we don’t really want freedom. Freedom feels uncertain. Unstable. Wild.

What we really crave is control. And when you can’t control your world, you try to control yourself — your image, your outcomes, your people, your plan.

But here’s the twist: The more you chase control, the less peace you actually have.

Because peace doesn’t come from control — it comes from surrender.

The Right Source of Control

Not surrender to people. Not surrender to culture. But surrender to God.

That’s the paradox nobody tells you: You only find real freedom when you finally surrender to the right source of control.

When you stop gripping your identity so hard — your plan, your timing, your version of success — you make space for God to shape something real.

And that’s when life starts to breathe again.

Strong Without Armor

You stop being a consumer of the world and start feeling it. You start to see people again. You listen longer. You become patient with yourself.

Because you’re not fighting for control anymore — you’re walking in alignment.

And that’s where your true identity unfolds. Not forced. Not manufactured. But revealed.

I used to think surrender meant weakness. Now I know — it’s the only way to be strong without armor.

The Freedom You Were Missing

You don’t want freedom. You want control.

But what you need… is surrender.

If this message hit you — don’t scroll. Stick around. Subscribe for more real talks, more truth, more tools to help you regulate your fire.

This is Big Merc. Stay grounded. Stay forged. 🔥

🔥 Want to Go Deeper?

👉 Watch the full teaching on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@kurtismercercoaching

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