Do you ever get the feeling that there is no free will and we're all a bunch of robots acting out a...?

Question

predetermined storyline?

It doesn't make sense?

What I mean is, that every choice a person makes is already determined before they make it, so there is no "free will."

Answer 1

The truth is that life is both fated and there is also free will.
Some things are unalterable, but others are not, so
we have to act accordingly, as expressed in the
prayer, "Lord grant me the ability to change the things I can,
to accept the things I cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference."

A great sage said, and I believe this is true, that
when we are born, 75% of our karma is fixed,
and 25% is the amount we have room to work
with (i.e. make improvements through self-effort).
However, if one does not lead a spiritual life,
even that 25 % will eventually erode and the
person's life will become 100% fated.

Answer 2

This is a very tricky question, but a far as the predetermined storyline part of it goes, no I don't belive that. I am not completely convinced but I think I lean more towardes Determinism than anything else. This does not help much though because there are so many factors involved in determining an action that it is impossible to do.
Also freewill can only be limited in ones mental state. Freedom in general can be limited phsically.
That I can predict what you will do does not in itself prevent you from making a free choice.

Answer 3

free will doesn't make any sense.

we've classified animals under "automata" since at least Descartes. And they don't seem to be fretting over the fact, though we, in our godlike hubris try to convince ourselves that we are above it all-- as a God.

It's not satisfying at all. The only way to negotiate free-will is to say "GOD SAID SO" or to get stuck in poor positions such as "we're determined to be free", or point to indeterminism in physics.

But none of these are sufficient. The 1st has no explanatory power, the second is a contradiction, the third does only one thing: it shows there is indeterminism, but that is not enough to make volition a faculty of pure, unmediated control. It just shows that the act of choice is likewise chaotic.


So... I'd probably try to think about how we're different from robots. Because, as far as we know, we're just the same mechanical things, albeit with animal desire and consciousness.

This propostion is irrefutable: you never subjectively choose the less-than-best option given the parameters in a specific time and a specific place.

Answer 4

I don't believe that every choice I make is already determined. God gave me and all humans free will. Nothing in my life will ever be set in stone. The only thing I know about making a choice before I make it, is that I will have to make a careful decision not to make the wrong choice. The only thing in like that makes me feel like a robot, is the fact that I have to pay taxes. Of course I could choose not to, but the recourse would be certain jailtime.

Answer 5

Yes, there is free will...but we make the choice that we are supposed to make. Its kinda like 2+2. The outcome is predetermined ..it's 4,..but until we realized it, when we were learning addition, it was unknown (to us). Likewise our future is unknown to us, we make choices now (free will) but the outcome is already determined. Looking backward, 4-2=2. If we could look back at our past, at our free-will choices, we could also see the outcomes which is another way of understanding predetermination.

Answer 6

There is free will but even with that it does look like people are robots sometimes. I don't believe our choices have been pre-determined but I do believe God works out HIS plan through and with the choices we make whether they were the "right" ones or not.

Answer 7

Everyone has free will that's the way god wants it. He wants all his children to act upon what they believe is right in his word. God loves everyone and gives everyone the chance to be the most that they can be. Just because God can look into your future and see what lame choices your going to make doesn't mean that you don't have free will at the time of your choice. Always remember that God wants someone who is going to love him unconditionally like a child loves their parents. That's what he is looking for. You can preach all day and never have a thought of your own but that doesn't mean that your going to get into heaven. God wants you to think on your own thus making the decision to love him on your own that's what he wants. Yes there is free will your using it right now.

Answer 8

No,...
i am definitely my own person.
Do what I want the way I see fit.
Which in most cases does comply but only based upon morals & values that i hold in high regard.
Not a follower of other people only a follower of my heart.
No one truly acts like a robot even the best behaved, well mannered individuals still do things their own way.
*Not so,- everyone has the choice as to which path they'll take and where they'll want their next footprint to land*

Answer 9

YES ! as far as free will goes it can be extremely limited however just like designer jeans it is custom fitted to support various religious concepts designed to help govern (we lost little sheep on the way to the slaughter)... it's a perfect explanation for
why God can't interfere and why the psychology of early times had to lie to primitive men to seize power control etcetera however now it's just as much used to proselitize killing and evil as it was supposed to teach good personally i prefer morals outside of religion so work for a morally good freedom of choice !without relying on primitive superstitions and little white lies...
have courage to seek truth and purity

Answer 10

just because people often pick the easier and more common path doesn't mean that the choice never existed.

even if society or the media or family or politics, etc. outlined what choices they wanted you to make, you may choose to go another way. more often than not, choosing the other way will be much more difficult and the obstacles much steeper.

what would you choose? a life of ease and conformity or a life of strife and nonconformity?