Free Will: It’s not only that they choose and decide for you, but usually it isn’t even what you want. Look how many things you do because of society, look at just how much we are enslaved, chained to the tastes and manners that society dictates!
What if I don’t feel like dressing nicely, smiling politely at acquaintances, going on a diet, and getting up for work in the morning? But I do it anyway. I even already want it because I feel that I am part of society.
And even if I’m one of the few that rejects what society’s majority tells me is the way to be, I still only go from one environment to another. I find an environment which supports my new lifestyle, a minority within society, say like other homeless people, or experimental artists, or skaters, or like those masochists in the documentary you saw.
Free Jim: You lost me. I couldn’t pay attention to all that. You know what? Great, my sister is a doctor. So now you want to tell me that she didn’t make her own choice?
Free Will: Who else in her class went to study medicine?
Free Jim: Two friends of hers, oh, and mum was always encouraging her to do it from when she was really young. Hmmm. Okay then, leave my sister out of it. I went to study modern history at university. I didn’t make a choice in that?
Free Will: Your father’s a librarian! You’re house is overflowing with books, and you never had a TV while you were growing up. So your entire home environment was these books. While everyone else was being normal, watching cartoons and playing video games, you’d go to your living room—a huge book fest—and the most pleasurable thing to do in a room full of books is to pick up a book and read it.
So you went through thousands of books when you were growing up, about war and geography and I don’t know what else you read about. But you’re full of all these facts and trivial knowledge. I can never get over how much useless general knowledge you have inside you. You should go on one of those game shows.
Free Jim: I always win in games of Trivial Pursuit.
Free Will: Look, in order not speak about you personally, let’s take someone who will not be offended as an example.
Free Jim: Who?
Free Will: Wheat.
Free Jim: What?
...To be continued in "How Free Will Works"
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The copyright of the article Society's Effect on Our Choices in Kabbalah is owned by Mark Zimmerman. Permission to republish Society's Effect on Our Choices in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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