Do you believe in free will?

[bubbletea]

Is it really up to us how we turn out?
We didn't choose our genetics, the way we were raised, etc.
I really don't understand how I got here. To the point of suicide. It was one choice after another like dominoes. And I don't understand why I mad certain choices. It was because I had certain thoughts at the time.. but I didn't choose to have those thoughts at that time. I just believed whatever was in my head. Sometimes another voice would tell me to stop or divert action but I found myself doing it anyway.
I fucking hope there's a multiverse and this isnt it for me. There's so much I wanted to do.

 

[Ch92921]

no

your eyes permantly move without your will, even when you try to stare they move.

 

[Begemont]

No. If we had the formulae and the capability to compute this stuff, we could compute every position of every atom at a given time. It's just causal reactions. The universe doesn't screw around playing dice.

 

[Santiago]

In the absolute sense of the word? No.
We get raised in a society where we are expected to live with certain values and norms that we have no control over. If we don't live by these values and norms we get punished.

 

[KiraLittleOwl]

I don't even have an illusion of free will because my life experience is extremely limited by my personality's flaws, it never felt that I am in control, life just was happening.
And I don't think I believe in free will for other people.

 

[ShadowOfTheDay]

It depends on the definition. As I've mentioned to others on this forum, I think that the colloquial, or "layman's" version of free will is obviously real (e.g. we can choose what we eat, what we say, where we work, whether or not to go on a shooting spree, etc.) But this doesn't mean that there are no external causes for the choices we make.

It's sort of like probability; scientists and mathematicians talk about probabilities all the time. If we knew everything about the current state of the universe, I think it would be theoretically possible to predict with certainty every future event (with the possible exception of quantum events). This does not mean that probability is a meaningless concept.

Likewise, it makes perfect sense to talk about free-will as an expression of our inability to predict with certainty what people are going to do.

 

[Begemont]

It depends on the definition. As I've mentioned to others on this forum, I think that the colloquial, or "layman's" version of free will is obviously real (e.g. we can choose what we eat, what we say, where we work, whether or not to go on a shooting spree, etc.) But this doesn't mean that there are no external causes for the choices we make.

It's sort of like probability; scientists and mathematicians talk about probabilities all the time. If we knew everything about the current state of the universe, I think it would be theoretically possible to predict with certainty every future event (with the possible exception of quantum events). This does not mean that probability is a meaningless concept.

Likewise, it makes perfect sense to talk about free-will as an expression of our inability to predict with certainty what people are going to do.

Probability certainly isn't a meaningless concept, it is highly useful. One can however ask the question too whether probability exists or not. While I'm not exactly an expert on that, this is a question I've posed to few statisticians and mathematicians and while it has been only their opinion, it doesn't. I'd agree with that. But whether it exists or not, it's an useful concept we can use to describe our world while we lack perfect information.

What has that to do with free will, I've no clue. It's an interesting thing though. I guess the same could be applied to free will. Whether it exists or not may or may not be relevant in the slightest. Whether it is an useful concept for explaining our feelings or making our lives feel as if they have meaning might be a completely different thing.

 

[Roberto]

I always pay for any decision.
For me, free will is something that doesn't describe the reality. Laws of physics know what we will choose always. It is always a consequence of our state of brain.I don't feel sad that there is always a path predestined to follow. At our sight is free will.

 

[Hotsackage]

Free will doesn't mean anything. The brain makes decisions and that's it

 

[GeorgeJL]

Is it really up to us how we turn out?
We didn't choose our genetics, the way we were raised, etc.
I really don't understand how I got here. To the point of suicide. It was one choice after another like dominoes. And I don't understand why I mad certain choices. It was because I had certain thoughts at the time.. but I didn't choose to have those thoughts at that time. I just believed whatever was in my head. Sometimes another voice would tell me to stop or divert action but I found myself doing it anyway.
I fucking hope there's a multiverse and this isnt it for me. There's so much I wanted to do.

Yes and yes. Yes we do have free will and I have thought about this a lot and very in depth too. And yes there is a multiverse, look into astral projection. These people can leave their bodies at night. It's something that can be trained.

 

[ShadowOfTheDay]

Probability certainly isn't a meaningless concept, it is highly useful. One can however ask the question too whether probability exists or not. While I'm not exactly an expert on that, this is a question I've posed to few statisticians and mathematicians and while it has been only their opinion, it doesn't. I'd agree with that. But whether it exists or not, it's an useful concept we can use to describe our world while we lack perfect information.

What has that to do with free will, I've no clue. It's an interesting thing though. I guess the same could be applied to free will. Whether it exists or not may or may not be relevant in the slightest. Whether it is an useful concept for explaining our feelings or making our lives feel as if they have meaning might be a completely different thing.

I mean, we're getting into some pretty murky philosophical territory here, but I guess my point is this: I would say free will exists/is "real" for the same reason that depression is real. Yes it's immaterial (though it may have a material cause), and yes it is subjective; but the alternative would be what? To say that depression is an illusion? This might all be seen as a pointless semantic game to some people, but I assure you, there are those who would use semantic ploys to justify all kinds of shitty behaviour.

 

[bubbletea]

I dont think we have free will. I think our decisions are merely brain chemistry and environment. We are governed by the laws of physics just like everything else in the universe. We're not special.

 

[Pulpit2018]

I am uncertain about this.
On one hand i recognize a level of determinism.You DONT have full control of your actions.
And causality will mean many things will happen because something else happened before.

HOWEVER i dont believe in hard determinism.
In the modern everyday reality,you still have to make choices.Even if i accept that some of those choices happen unconsciously and depending on your personality and environment you will act certain way.Thats fine.
BUT it does NOT absolve you of your personal responsibility.
Civilization is based on responsibility and practically it matters little if hard determinism is true or not.Behaving like an ass and blaming it on hard determinism wont fly.You cant act like the future is already written.

So in the end of the day,even if free will does not exist at all,or exists partially,responsibility still matters and counts.
And thats a good thing.

 

[throwaway123]

Is it really up to us how we turn out?
We didn't choose our genetics, the way we were raised, etc.
I really don't understand how I got here. To the point of suicide. It was one choice after another like dominoes. And I don't understand why I mad certain choices. It was because I had certain thoughts at the time.. but I didn't choose to have those thoughts at that time. I just believed whatever was in my head. Sometimes another voice would tell me to stop or divert action but I found myself doing it anyway.
I fucking hope there's a multiverse and this isnt it for me. There's so much I wanted to do.

same here but sadly there does not seem to be a multiverse.

 

[RememberWhatUCameFor]

to a cerain way yes - you have controll over your life, over your own decisions

but its highly limited but upbringing but especially by genetics. intelligence, looks, mentall stability, even if youre lazy or not - all biological determined

 

[Severnayasemiramida]

Our life is determined by our past and random. Our choices are always based on how we're raised.
When I was drinking with "normie" friends it seemed it's really impossible for them to understand their own success and fails depend mostly of where and when they were born. They see only their own "hard work" which part in their success is really scanty comparing to the "start stats"

 

[throwaway123]

Our life is determined by our past and random. Our choices are always based on how we're raised.
When I was drinking with "normie" friends it seemed it's really impossible for them to understand their own success and fails depend mostly of where and when they were born. They see only their own "hard work" which part in their success is really scanty comparing to the "start stats"

This!!!!!!

 

[Istanbulite]

I do not

 

[Al Cappella]

No, but we have, and need, the illusion of choice…