One interpretation of “parrhesia” is “freedom of speech,” but it’s not the kind of freedom of speech enumerated in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Instead it’s a kind of open and honest communication that might come with risk to the speaker. Sharing difficult news with a loved one is an example of parrhesia, as is someone coming forward as a whistleblower. In ancient Greece, “isegoria” was in keeping with our First Amendment — the right to speak freely before the assembly — and “parrhesia” was putting that right into practice.