Can you choose something you don't want to choose?

Question

If you CAN choose something you don't want to choose, doesnt it then BECOME your choice, thus never actually choosing what you didnt want to choose?

So if you can only choose one thing, that which you want, can you choose your 'wants'? Can you choose to want to eat food? Can you choose to want to have sex? I dont think you can, so even your 'wants' themselves arent choice.

So, in conclusion, Is 'choice' an illusion? Because according to my above statements, you can only 'choose' one thing( that which you want ), and that one thing isnt a choice.

This is a philosophical question, i decided to ask it here too because I like you R&S people.

lindsey p:

Lets say i choose ice cream, now WHY would i have chosen ice cream? its a hot day? i WANT to be cooled down?

Do you see how ALL choice is ultimatley dictated by 'want'?

elisha:

if you decide to 'overcome you want', isnt it because you WANTED to over come your want?

Its impossible to do something you dont want to do.

Answer 1

Good one. Free will is an illusion.

Listen to the words that your brain is generating right now. Did you decide to generate them? Or did your brain generate them from the stimuli coming into it?

Answer 2

Individuals often choose, by a course of actions or inaction, conscously or unconsciously, things that they would not and do not prefer all of the time.

As an example, a woman who is being abused by her significant other does not want to be beaten and abused. She is seeking love and realtionship, however, due to the circumstance she may find herself in, she is too frightened to leave the abuser. By her actions of remaining, she has chosen what she would not prefer.

Apparently in Nazi Germany during World War II, many perosn disagreed with the policy of the state however, they we too afraid of the consequneces to speak up and or leave the country.

It appears that many persons in this country are presently opposed to the policies of the current president however, they are often unwilling or unable to go out and vote or to work for a change,

You are painting the world in shades of black and white, as "either / or" situations. The world and life is better painted in varying and many shades of grey.

May it be well with you.

Answer 3

Some things are shown to be choices, but in reality are ultimatums. Not really a choice at all. Sometimes the choice is a or b, but what if you want neither?, is neither considered a choice?.

Answer 4

The beauty of this world is that it is so complex that we perceive we have choices, when really whatever happened was going to happen anyway. You're probably right, anyway.

Oh well, I'm here and as long as I'm thinking everything is okay with me.

Answer 5

Yes.
If you really have never chosen something you didn't want to choose, you must be the most irresponsible person that ever existed.

Answer 6

That's the freewill banana again. You're still being forced because you didn't opt to have to make a choice.

Answer 7

Of course you can. Wanting to eat and choosing to eat or not eat, are not the same thing. It is more than possible to choose to do something we might not 'want' to do. Happens all the time.

Answer 8

if i am following your question correctly. that would mean that no matter what everything in this world is always a choice. if that is an accurate assumption on my part. i like your thinking.

Answer 9

I don't think we can choose our wants although our actions can dictate what happens to those wants. Our wants can be overcome.

Answer 10

We have free will, the ability to chose between good and evil. Read Summa Theologica by St.Thomas Aquinas, I think you will like it.