Are Our Decisions Truly Our Own?
Everyone knows the difference between right and wrong, and we all have the ability to stop and think before we act . I mean Before I do anything, I first think about what will come out of it, and I ask ourselves, what if this goes wrong? Will I be able to handle what comes next? So If the consequences is something I can live with, then I can choose to go ahead. But if I feel that I can’t handle the consequences , then I hold back. So to me, So I feel all the choices I made was because I have the chance to choose what will be good for me.
I will compare free will to menu at the restaurant, in that menu there are lot of things listed there, so I have the freedom to choose whatever meal I want eat, whether I’m choose the expensive one, or I choose the cheap one, or I decides to eat something I have not tried before, that’s all depends on me , and nobody can force me to do otherwise. But in everything I’m choosing, I still have to think if I will be able afford the particular meal that I chose and also consider if I’ll like the meal or not. So whatever the outcome might be, I’ll be the one to face.
So Yeah, I believe we are free to do what we want, but still, the thing we can do can only be within the limits of the choices available to us. Even if I decide that I do not want to carry out a task, that is still my decision and nobody can force me to participate. It’s true that I will not be able to benefit anything from the opportunity that comes with the task, but it’s the choice I made for myself and there’s nothing I can do than to live with consequences that comes after it. That’s the bitter truth about life and we have to accept it.
Let’s also think about someone who decides not to go to work and decides to just stat in bed. Nobody will be able to drag that person out of the door. Sure, that person is using his/her freedom, but the choice that person made can leave him/her broke, the person will find it difficult to pay bills, and will even affect the the ability of the person to take care of himself. So , the freedom to stay idle does not remove the need to eat or pay for the things they need. In as much as the person is free to choose whatever he/she likes, the result the person will get might not be pleasant.
The same thing also applicable to a country where there’s law to guide people. Although, having a law to obey does not mean people have lost the ability to choose. Someone can still do otherwise and break law. Like someone who doesn’t care at all. But having the freedom to break the law does not mean they will get away with the punishment attached to whatever they do, that’s for sure. So there’s a possibility of being fined, arrested or even sent to prison. So all of these punishments will even make someone to think twice before doing anything. The law is there to guide us, but the final decision to obey or not still lies in our own hands
So I’ll say having free will is not an execuse to act carelessly. We have to think about how the choices we make will affect us and the people around us. A choice that benefits only me but hurts someone else Is bad, I can’t treat it as something that is harmless simply because I have the freedom to do it. We should always have it at the back of our mind that not every decision that feels good in the moment will be good for us in the long run.
It’s just handling the steering wheel of a car. You know, I can choose where to turn, when to slow down and which route to take. But I still have to pay attention to the road and follow the traffic rules to avoid any problem. So me controlling the wheel does not mean I can drive recklessly on the road and then expect nothing to happen at the end.
So, I will say free exists, but it comes with taking responsibility of our actions. The truth is that, Having the freedom to make choices is one thing, but knowing how to make use of it wisely is another thing entirely. All of us have the opportunity to make decisions that can improve our lives, and treat other people right. I believe that freedom is not just about having the power to choose, it is also understanding that the choices we made matter.
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