Theory of Everything - Do we have a Free Will?

I agree about no free will, but with some qualifications that can make a bit of difference for some individuals.

So-called first-level people merely have beliefs and desires, period, robotically and dutifully attending to them as they fall hook, line, and sinker for their very own thoughts, even ascribing more importance to them if the thoughts persist.

Second-level people have beliefs and desires about their beliefs and desires, and thus can become able spectators of themselves, even learning how and when to ignore their very own thoughts. This is astounding!

Also, strange thoughts are normal and sane, even when we’re totally healthy in body and mind. They can be vetoed somewhat. We say “I won’t really kill that bad driver”, which is obvious for most, but how many borderline actions slip through for the unenlightened?

Are we free to will that which does the willing? Probably not. Most thoughts, even those apparently coming in from “out of the blue”, must be determined by our memories, associations, learned behaviors, hormones, mood-regulating neurotransmitters like serotonin, and countless influences right up to the instant, with perhaps some tiebreakers or a little flexibility for choice among equals thrown it. Does this make us robots? Yes, but so what. We robots can change if we’re lucky enough to be open to learning to begin with; otherwise, not.

Remember, some choices may be forced today, but if we learn something new, those choices may be different tomorrow.

There is no real way for us not to be robots, even if we somehow arranged to make all our decisions randomly, which would be useless. Anyway, it does actually feel like we have free will, although it is really only “free won’t” power, isn’t it, and this too can be forced?

And, the clincher, if you still don’t believe that you are a robot, is that your consciousness is the last to be informed of your brain’s results, a full three hundred milliseconds AFTER the brain has subconsciously completed its analysis, although there is still time for a veto before we act—“free won’t”. Again, don’t feel bad—for how else could it be, really? But, somehow, your knowing this secret can make you just a little bit less robotic. How?

Just let your evil or conditioned responses and/or problems sail on by without your acting on them instantly and impulsively—and, in this space that you’ve just created, this distance between you and your conditioned response which perhaps never existed before, you can perhaps accomplish a much more creative solution, than say, yelling. Yes, I know, it allows but a small amount of “free will” but it’s more than some had before.

(Respectfully hope no one inherits previous soul info since the world's souls seem to be going downhill.)