I am not sure how big the room for a free will really is. My therapist always praised me for being so smart never to have taken drugs. Though a reason for that probably was that my parents raised us that way. If my parents were addicts I might would have become one too. I was abused as child and it haunts me two decades afterwards still every single day. It determines my whole life. I think some events can really change a life completely. I still think fatalism and hard determinism are pretty dangerous because of self-fulfiling prophecies. I recently read the biography of David Foster Wallace and I had the feeling many views political and societal ones were vastly influenced by the place and time where and when he lived. This is kind of obvious but I think in different circumstances we would become probably way way different people. This is why raising a child brings along huge responsibility.
Here are examples how events and circumstances can change a life:
1. Influencing identity: whether someone identifies as a certain sexual identity, feelings for one's own nation, preferences and hobbies
2. Shaping personality: for example resilience, risk-aversion, neuroticism, mental conditions -> depression, PTSD, bipolar etc. huge impact on life quality and happiness level, tendency for addictions
3. Affecting beliefs and values: DFW grew up in the Mid West of the USA and was a conservative, his views fitted to the region and the usual political landscape there, for example his take on the economic issues, people often learn from their parents certain values like emphasis on hard work, altruism, selfishness, social justice, relation to drugs etc.
4. Goals and ambitions, beliefs and faith, affecting relationships (trust): If our parents give us love and material well being this can influence our relation to life and our expectations, whether we believe in God changes with our experiences often, sadly the childhood and teenager years can sometimes be pretty important and it can be difficult to get rid of bad habits when one is older but it is not impossible.
However I think it is important to mention one thing. Despite the fact there are major influences the future is not decided yet. We still have the option to decide for and against things. At the same time we should not be angry at us if we make mistakes there probably should be an healthy balance of both. Hope for self-empowerment and being not too harsh on oneself because of flaws. We are all just humans and only can do our best.
Here are examples how events and circumstances can change a life:
1. Influencing identity: whether someone identifies as a certain sexual identity, feelings for one's own nation, preferences and hobbies
2. Shaping personality: for example resilience, risk-aversion, neuroticism, mental conditions -> depression, PTSD, bipolar etc. huge impact on life quality and happiness level, tendency for addictions
3. Affecting beliefs and values: DFW grew up in the Mid West of the USA and was a conservative, his views fitted to the region and the usual political landscape there, for example his take on the economic issues, people often learn from their parents certain values like emphasis on hard work, altruism, selfishness, social justice, relation to drugs etc.
4. Goals and ambitions, beliefs and faith, affecting relationships (trust): If our parents give us love and material well being this can influence our relation to life and our expectations, whether we believe in God changes with our experiences often, sadly the childhood and teenager years can sometimes be pretty important and it can be difficult to get rid of bad habits when one is older but it is not impossible.
However I think it is important to mention one thing. Despite the fact there are major influences the future is not decided yet. We still have the option to decide for and against things. At the same time we should not be angry at us if we make mistakes there probably should be an healthy balance of both. Hope for self-empowerment and being not too harsh on oneself because of flaws. We are all just humans and only can do our best.
