I
don't believe in the same things I used to believe in ten years ago. I
won't necessarily have the same opinions a year or two from now.
These thoughts felt much smoother while I was lying in bed
thinking wether or not I should get up and start writing this entry
on my laptop.
People's opinions have flaws in them. But it's their current opinion. Seeing
the flaws in someone else makes me realize we all have flaws in our
perception of the world around us.
But
having an opinion is something we have to do wether we like it or
not. They say sky's the limit, and technically it is, but the reality
of it is quite different.
For example, there is nothing stoping me
right now from downloading the complete works of Descartes and
downing them in one go. I won't ever do that though, because I don't
want to. There is nothing stopping anyone from giving their heart and
soul for the next decade by studying trout fishing or fabric
processing automation in the 1800s industrial evolution era Britain.
But they won't do that . Most of them won't.
The
best way I can prove my point is to paint the following picture with
words :
You
are a train that's going through life riding pre-determined railroad
tracks. You didn't choose your parents, your education, your
inclinations , the country and economy you were born in. The era ,
your genes and sex. You had no say in your appearance or what your
favorite food is. All of those things were predetermined for you.
This may sound a bit dark but the truth is, knowing that is
liberating.
Knowing
your own limits , more of what you want in life is quite soothing.
Why did I start writing this blog entry? I don't know. I know that
I did start writing it though.
All
I'm trying to say is that even though you play a small part in a big
world, the possibilities of which aren't quite endless, it's not a
depressing thought at all.
You
work with what you have, and all what you have is your mind . You
are the conscious witness of your life. How people think they have
free will is astounding. You didn't create the thoughts in your mind,
you merely expressed them. But your knowing that you have no say in
what creates your thoughts is liberating. You know that the thoughts
are going to rise and fall in your mind, well let them do just that.
You can watch from a third person view as the ebb and flow of the
mind is unfolding.
Knowing
the thoughts are pre-determined by factors that are not up to you
allows you to choose more wisely from the multiple threads of thought
that arise in your mind at any given moment.
In
Japanese, there is an expression that means "To notice".
(Ki ga tsuku) Translated
literally, it means to attach your mind to something. (気が付く)
Multiple
thoughts come and go , but which are the ones you want to attach your
mind to ? Most people spend their whole lives thinking without
realizing that they are thinking. It's not the thoughts themselves
that are bad, but thinking without noticing that we are doing so.
Knowing
beforehand that the thoughts are going to come anyway makes you
better at evaluating and choosing which of them you want to expend
your energy to.
Thus
, you are more free in realizing that you're not free.
Determinism
may be true, but realizing it can be a life-changing experience,
transcending what is usually considered to be “free will”.
For
Sam Harris.