License2Live… what is the world coming to?

I read about an interesting website in The Times this week. Called License2Live, the premise is that people can log on and request a free license, granting them permission to do practically anything.

In a nutshell, you log on and choose a ‘license’ that meets your needs- ‘Speak Your Mind’, or ‘Be a Chameleon’; and you can comment and vote on the licenses, or suggest your own idea.

Granted, the site is based in America, the world’s palace of pity parties, but is there really such a feeling of powerlessness in the workplace that people need to order special licenses granting them permission to act a certain way… to let it all hang out and simply be themselves? Are people are so bombarded by life these days, they need a reason to live it?

For example, the Half License allows you to order half of what you want, or only eat half of what you ordered- does society frown upon not finishing what you’ve started to such an extent that we’re embarrassed to leave our plates semi-full and ask for a doggy bag? Speaking your mind and acting on impulse are basic human rights. It’s a sorry state of affairs if people feel so judged and closed in by rules and expectations that they put on a different persona just to please others, while quashing who they truly are. Based on this, I feel the site has a merit and puts forth a positive message.

License2Live sums things up by saying its users are: “unique in who you are, where you live, who you interact with, how you were raised, what you’ve done with your life, what you think, and what you want to do right now, next week and next year. Because of this, each of you face different social pressures and constraints on different scales. We help you overcome social constraints by creating little reminders, licenses, that address the most common, frustrating and annoying constraints in your world.”

A fun way of expressing yourself, or a sign that societal pressure has increased to such a ridiculous level that people now need an excuse just to be themselves? Visit the site at www.license2live.com and let me know what you think!