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Final Thoughts on Trading Spouses
Here is a little experiment / survey for anyone interested in investigating their personal life in order to either affirm or negate the existence of free will. This project fits right in with Buddha's path as it will require right mindfulness, right attentiveness, right effort, and right concentration. To either affirm or negate what is happening at moments of decision requires a moment-to-moment awareness of the flow of life - meditation! This challenge also requires the suspension of preconceptions in order to evaluate the evidence evenly. I said it was a challenge! 
Introduction
We're able to imagine scenarios and options that we can take or leave. We're also able to imagine ourselves choosing the 'best' one and doing it.
We assume that these two abilities are real. We prove they are through experience. For example, I can imagine wanting a glass of water and going to the kitchen to get it. If I now stand up and do this, I have proven to myself I can freely choose. Multiply this scenarios countless times throughout a lifetime and it is little wonder that we assume free will is real. However, is it that simple?
What about those times when, despite our intentions, we fail to carry through and act accordingly? This could indicate that we have free will sometimes, but not always. Why not always? When we are unable to actually carry out our 'best' choices, we find excuses - the devil, karma, desire, insanity, drugs, laziness,... whatever. I suppose this implies that if it weren't for these hindrances, our actions would conform perfectly with our 'best choices'.
My personal observations reveal that the only time action conforms to 'best choice' is when need is driving the intention. It is not enough for me to simply 'know better' and imagine doing it. Imagination without an underlying emotional need is impotent.
Thus, in my view, free will requires emotional energy to activate 'choice'. Without this, our 'choices' remain unfulfilled dreams. This brings us to the next question: do we have control over our emotions. Can we snap our fingers and extinguish the feeling of anger, hate, love, lust, thirst, fear, jealousy, ambition, aggression, and so on? Likewise, can we snap our fingers and invoke these emotions that are presently absent?
Well, can we? While doubtful, we can manage these emotions to some extent. For example, let's say I'm angry and feel like hitting you, but I also fear being arrested for assault and battery. I'm feeling two opposing needs - one to hit, one to avoid jail. What will I 'choose' to do? My strongest emotional need will 'choose' what I do. If I need to hit you more than I fear going to jail, I'll hit you. If I fear going to jail more than I need to hit you, I'll refrain. Isn't it as simple as that? Take the challenge and see.
The Challenge - Step I
First, see how these four statements sit with you by answering true or false.
1) The only time action conforms to 'choice' is when need is driving the intention. It is not enough to simply 'know better'. Intention without need is impotent.
[true] [false]
2) We cannot snap our fingers to either extinguish or evoke real feelings of need, hate, love, jealousy, lust, thirst, anger, fear, ambition, aggression, or contentment.
[true] [false]
3) Given two needs, the strongest one determines action.
[true] [false]
4) Given two differing needs of rather equal strength, 'choice' becomes nearly impossible.
[true] [false]
Challenge - Step II
The balance of emotions, needs and fears, determine action, as the statements above indicate. In my view, anyone can either prove or refute this by carefully noticing the moment to moment flow of their life's activities, both large and small. So here you go...For one day, one hour, or even just 15 minutes, evaluate each 'choice' you make by answering the following questions:
1) Was there a need that motivated the action? What was the need?
2) If you experienced two needs at the same time, try to go with the lesser need. Were you able to?
3) During the time period, did you do anything that had no need behind it? What was that? Is there really no need attached?
4) Right now can you arouse the following emotions toward our current president: hate, love, jealousy, lust, anger, and fear? Can you stir up enough emotion to need to do something like send him fan letter and/or some hate mail?
5) Number 4 was difficult! Here's an easy one - make yourself feel thirsty. Can you stir up enough thirst to need to get a drink? Do you feel enough need to actually get up and drink?
Any Conclusions?
So what do you think? I'd love to hear the results from anyone courageous enough to attempt this challenge! I'm only half kidding about the courage part. It does take courage to watch ourselves honestly.
Introduction
We're able to imagine scenarios and options that we can take or leave. We're also able to imagine ourselves choosing the 'best' one and doing it.
We assume that these two abilities are real. We prove they are through experience. For example, I can imagine wanting a glass of water and going to the kitchen to get it. If I now stand up and do this, I have proven to myself I can freely choose. Multiply this scenarios countless times throughout a lifetime and it is little wonder that we assume free will is real. However, is it that simple?
What about those times when, despite our intentions, we fail to carry through and act accordingly? This could indicate that we have free will sometimes, but not always. Why not always? When we are unable to actually carry out our 'best' choices, we find excuses - the devil, karma, desire, insanity, drugs, laziness,... whatever. I suppose this implies that if it weren't for these hindrances, our actions would conform perfectly with our 'best choices'.
My personal observations reveal that the only time action conforms to 'best choice' is when need is driving the intention. It is not enough for me to simply 'know better' and imagine doing it. Imagination without an underlying emotional need is impotent.
Thus, in my view, free will requires emotional energy to activate 'choice'. Without this, our 'choices' remain unfulfilled dreams. This brings us to the next question: do we have control over our emotions. Can we snap our fingers and extinguish the feeling of anger, hate, love, lust, thirst, fear, jealousy, ambition, aggression, and so on? Likewise, can we snap our fingers and invoke these emotions that are presently absent?
Well, can we? While doubtful, we can manage these emotions to some extent. For example, let's say I'm angry and feel like hitting you, but I also fear being arrested for assault and battery. I'm feeling two opposing needs - one to hit, one to avoid jail. What will I 'choose' to do? My strongest emotional need will 'choose' what I do. If I need to hit you more than I fear going to jail, I'll hit you. If I fear going to jail more than I need to hit you, I'll refrain. Isn't it as simple as that? Take the challenge and see.
The Challenge - Step I
First, see how these four statements sit with you by answering true or false.
1) The only time action conforms to 'choice' is when need is driving the intention. It is not enough to simply 'know better'. Intention without need is impotent.
[true] [false]
2) We cannot snap our fingers to either extinguish or evoke real feelings of need, hate, love, jealousy, lust, thirst, anger, fear, ambition, aggression, or contentment.
[true] [false]
3) Given two needs, the strongest one determines action.
[true] [false]
4) Given two differing needs of rather equal strength, 'choice' becomes nearly impossible.
[true] [false]
Challenge - Step II
The balance of emotions, needs and fears, determine action, as the statements above indicate. In my view, anyone can either prove or refute this by carefully noticing the moment to moment flow of their life's activities, both large and small. So here you go...For one day, one hour, or even just 15 minutes, evaluate each 'choice' you make by answering the following questions:
1) Was there a need that motivated the action? What was the need?
2) If you experienced two needs at the same time, try to go with the lesser need. Were you able to?
3) During the time period, did you do anything that had no need behind it? What was that? Is there really no need attached?
4) Right now can you arouse the following emotions toward our current president: hate, love, jealousy, lust, anger, and fear? Can you stir up enough emotion to need to do something like send him fan letter and/or some hate mail?
5) Number 4 was difficult! Here's an easy one - make yourself feel thirsty. Can you stir up enough thirst to need to get a drink? Do you feel enough need to actually get up and drink?
Any Conclusions?
So what do you think? I'd love to hear the results from anyone courageous enough to attempt this challenge! I'm only half kidding about the courage part. It does take courage to watch ourselves honestly.
Comments
The rest of the family went to a bluegrass festival. I'm suffering from festival burnout
Anyway a few things caught my interested.
But most telling are the people who got so emotionally worked up over what they 'understood' the situation to be. Even when I view the show as though it was reality (me clinging to my sons), I'm feel... so what! Poor pappa, or what ever.
Well, that is what make the world go round - in circles, I'm afraid. My final word on the show... what a wonderful experience to drop on us out of the blue. Life is an adventure. Well, I've run out of Emoticons so goodnight all...