Determined by Sapolsky - Attempting to Prove we Have No Free Will (1 Viewer)

[Ilov80s]

And yet, some women break this cycle. Some people get fed up, at different points in their lives, and make changes. And people do it at different ages, for different reasons, with much different catalysts.

In general, I am not too impressed when people try and explain anything to do with the brain. Someone earlier said there was a lot of advances in neuroscience, I would like to learn more about that, but I am pretty skeptical generally about anyone explaining anything about personality traits. Too many exceptions.

Absolutely. Nowhere did I ever say I agree with determinism or a lack of free will. My point is that free will is more difficult to access than we think. People like to assume they are clearly making all these decisions in life when actually we are moving in a sort of impulse/autopilot mode and have to really work hard to get out it and forge a different path. Or sometimes people break that path and don’t even know why. I’ve quit smoking, stopped using weed and stopped eating meat. All have been good for my health and were things I objectively wanted to do. However, when it actually happened at different times and I stopped it wasn’t because I had some excellent plan or super support system. I just woke up and the idea was in my head. Where it came from I don’t know but it was like a new impulse was there. That’s just me though. I would like to take credit for stopping smoking and my friends asked how I did it but honestly, I couldn’t help them or take much credit because I just woke up not wanting to do it anymore.

 

[BlackCrowes]

This is a topic I usually enjoy debating, but I’ve always found it’s difficult without clearly defining your terms. I’ve read a little Sam Harris on this, I may give this book a try.

I think there most likely is a “right” answer, but I doubt we know enough about the brain yet to find it.

 

[kupcho1]

I'm sure you'll all familiar with deja vu. Well when I experience it, I intentionally divert from what I know is expected and do something completely different.
Free will is real.

 

[Terminalxylem]

But basically it looks like his advice is to tone down judgement of others and recognize that people are predisposed toward their actions, and so are you.

This seems like a good idea, regardless.