Mar
Do We Really Have Free Will? Open Secrets Part 3
This is the third installation in the review and discussion of the book Open Secrets by Rami Shapiro. The book is an easily digested, metaphysical interpretation of Judaism. In this section, one of the chapters is “Why Be Jewish?” The master Rabbi writing to his protege explains that Judaism is a path to become one with God and exprerience God in the world.
I was nodding along to everything until he said, “We are not free to be anyone we wish. We are only free to be who we are.” My head started going in circles. Did I just read right? I’m not free to be whoever I want to be? But I’ve been taught that my entire life.
Fortunately, I am studying this book in a small group and I was not the only one who got stuck on this point. A few of the participants cited the case of physical limitations to support the statement. After all, if I’m free to be anything I want to be, then I could be a track star. On the other hand, a few others argued that we do, indeed, have the potential to be, do, and have anything we want. Since that’s true, we are “free” to be whatever we want.
In the book, the master Rabbi explained to his student that he could not be anything but a rabbi. He also explained that every decision that he made in his life closed in on what he was to become.
I believe that we all have a path and a purpose, but we can choose whether or not we want to follow it. If every decision we make is true to who we are, we will walk our path, fulfill our purpose. If, on the other hand, we make decisions out of alignment with who we are (as we are free to do so), we don’t.
What do you think about the ideas of free will and fate? Do you think it has to be one or the other? If not, do you reconcile the two ideas?
In Spirit,
Nneka
March 8th, 2007 at 3:30 am
Here’s one idea:
“From the early days of the Islamic society the question of free will began to exercise and perplex the minds of men. A tradition, the authenticity of which is very much doubted, was circulating to the effect that Muhammad had said: ‘The proponents of free will are the Magians of my people’. Opposed to free will is rigidly- enforced predestination. Those who maintained that man is chained to a fate decided for him by Providence, incapable of free choice, were known as Mujabbirah or Jabriyyah — believers in forceful fate’. When we speak of a river flowing, they said, we are speaking figuratively, because the river, in truth, has no will of its own to flow. By the same token when we ascribe action to man, it is figurative. ”
(H.M. Balyuzi, Muhammad and the Course of Islam, p. 225)
March 8th, 2007 at 11:22 am
This is something that I’ve put a lot of thought into, but can’t be certain either way. I don’t think there is any way to know for sure.
We make conscious decisions every day. We base these decisions on outside factors we can’t control and also our personalities. But do we have a choice to like one thing or another? Do we choose our own strengths and weaknesses?
I don’t think so. If we have control over anything, it’s our own thoughts. But even that I’m not sure of.
At the same time, a life without free will is pointless. I guess the truth is somewhere between the two.
March 8th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Like John said, a life without free will is pointless. But our choices are shaped by the choices we have made in the past, both those we are conscious of and those we aren’t.
Overall, I have to agree with the rabbi. One of the reasons I believe in reincarnation is it makes space for freedom of choice.
March 8th, 2007 at 3:10 pm
I interpreted the statement, “We are only free to be who we are,” in a less philosophical vein. When I am by myself, I am quiet, calm, reflective. Put on some rock and roll music, and I turn into a stage diva when no one is around. Put me in with a group of people I like, and I become extroverted and gabby. Different parts of myself emerge, based on the circumstances. Being whom I am is not necessarily a fixed thing, taken from this perspective.
Who knows, maybe if I had read this line a few days ago, another part of myself would have produced a deeper answer !
March 9th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
What insightful comments! You each provided me with more food for thought.
On the one hand, I hear arguments from Scott Adams (the Dilbert Guy) about life being dictated by a series of choices. Choices not made from free will, but made like a computer program makes choices: if this then that (only more complicated).
On the other hand, what is life without free will, as John pointed out. However, I really don’t think we have control over our thoughts. I do believe that we have control over attention. And somehow, what we focus on tends to replay in our minds and that influences thoughts, and choices.
Deb, I can totally relate to being who I am in very different scenarios. For example, I am completely in my element grinding on a guy in a Trinidadian fete, and saying a prayer in front of my congregation. I feel equally expressive in both. I feel equally in the flow in both cases.
I guess it all comes down to what works for you.
In Spirit,
Nneka
March 27th, 2007 at 8:23 pm
[...] Free Will [...]
June 18th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
How can I get a copy of this book to study?
October 19th, 2007 at 2:09 pm
“We are not free to be anyone we wish. We are only free to be who we are.”
To me that means that whatever I do, think, or feel, I’m still “me.” I can’t be someone else. I can act like them, I can do what they do, but I’m still going to be me. That basic essence that is inside of me. that makes me who I am, doesn’t change.
I’m not free to change that essence, that is not my choice. But I can fully experience who I am in any way I chose.
March 29th, 2009 at 3:02 am
[...] the Balanced Life Center, the post Do We Really Have Free Will? Open Secrets Part 3 continues the discussion by talking about fate vs. free [...]
December 3rd, 2009 at 10:12 pm
[...] the Balanced Life Center, the post Do We Really Have Free Will? Open Secrets Part 3 continues the discussion by talking about fate vs. free [...]
April 4th, 2010 at 1:36 am
Hello there!
I have been struggling with that concept for most of my life,
until recently when i realized from my own experience that we do
not have free will. Yes I was taught about free will and such and I
even believed in that concept for many years (I am only in my mid-30s)
but recent changes in my life and inner feelings brought me through
observation to the conclusion that, like the kabbalists say (and this
was annoying me in the past very much!), in this world we are only
observing and performing actions that were pre-determined for us.
This is a practice so that we experience creation but we are not
truly the creators of anything in this world! It’s all a big illusion.
I am no scientist and this idea that free will is an illusion was
bothering me a lot in the past and I was rejecting it completely. It
made me angry. But, life taught me through happiness and sadness,
likes and dislikes, that we cannot really choose to be who ever we wish
to be. If we attempt to do that we end up being very unhappy, which
means that we are not free to feel happy with whoever we choose to be
so there is no true free will. So why have this illusion? Because
without it there would be no point to this life and no excitement when
we discover our true selves (each one has his own) and there will be
no experience of what is which is what we are here to do. If you look
at the way the solar system and the universe work you see perfect
order and design. Does it make sense that in out chaotic world where
people bump into each other on the street we will be given free will?
The idea of free will in itself does not make any sense when looking
at the structure of the universe and how things operate so harmoniously. .
In order to be able to sustain life for all and this world, there must
be order which makes it impossible for each person to truly choose
who they can be and when. Since we all share the same space in the
universe and since that space is always orderly maintained
it must be so that our “free will” is only relative and the
overwhelming number of possible different courses of action
available to each person (which are also determined for us)
is what’s causing us to believe in the illusion called free will.