Welcome to Inkbunny...

To view member-only content, create an account. ( Hide )

Free will doesn't work when you're ignorant

by

Not really a political statement, I leave that on Twitter these days.

Just philosophizing a general thought.

For a person to make a willful decision, they need to be aware of the conditions and circumstances of the matter they are weighting in their mind.  If you don't have the facts of the matter you are leaving it to chance and this surrendering your own responsibility and agency.

If you make the decision based on a lie, one you told yourself or one provided by another, you allow the illusion of truth to control your perception and that of those you spread the misrepresentation to.

Being critical and cynical is a healthy response to a world full of deception.  But if you use your cynicism to avoid investigation and finding the truth of the matter, that's when it becomes a inhibitor to free will as you refuse to accept the actual facts that are covered up or distorted.

It takes effort to dig down and reveal the truth and facts on any matter.  But refusing to do so is lazy, and disingenuous to yourself and others.

Find all the angles, all the motives, all the circumstances about any point of contention and use your discernment to come to your own conclusion.

Don't let someone else, not even me do it for you.

Practice free will no matter how arduous it maybe.  Take the time to be fair to yourself and others.

Viewed:	55 times
Added:	5 years, 3 months ago 22 Jan 2019 15:26 CET

20 Comments on this Journal

Leave a Comment...

Furlips

5 years, 3 months ago

link

There's at least 30% of our country that remain willfully ignorant.

Bunners

CuriousFerret

5 years, 3 months ago

link

@ Furlips

I can only encourage people looking for honest facts.

I have no means to create a deterrent for lazy thinking.

Furlips

5 years, 3 months ago

link

@ CuriousFerret

"And here's another person that needs to be repeatedly hit in the head with a golf club."
George Carlin

Bunners

ZwolfJareAlt306

5 years, 3 months ago

link

True!

Mole

5 years, 3 months ago

link

What does consequences have to do with making a willful decision?  At most, you seem to be talking about an 'informed' decision.. or being critical.

Even with out all the facts, people are responsible for their decisions.  Ignorance does not excuse people of their actions.

Though if not having all the facts prevent people from excusing free will.. then I suppose people can't be willfully ignorant

I think this goes more with a democracy can't run with misinformed citizen... though I honestly don't blame the citizen for this, the people giving the news and information are allow to leave things out.  To the point, in the USA a large group of people weren't even sure the 44th President was an american and the 45th President attacked the wrong country.

There can be laws and regulation to prevent this... in fact there was.. FCC fairness doctrine,which was repealed in 2000's.  It wasn't perfect, but it proves our information could be regulated to be .. more informational and less misleading.

CuriousFerret

5 years, 3 months ago

link

@ Mole

If you choose to not be informed your surrendering your own agency. This isn't about negating responsibility of the choice, its about giving up your own control and letting something else think for you.

I beilive it is better to make an error of your own intentions, then rely on others intent carrying you along and hoping for the best.

That's lazy.

Mole

5 years, 3 months ago

link

Edited 5 years, 3 months ago by Owner

@ CuriousFerret

isn't the choice to remain lazy.. agency itself?

I agree being informed is better..but trust isn't taking away agency, it's just making a decision.

The only reason why I reply is because I think this is a false dichotomy.. where being informed equate to free will. where you're just basically saying don't be a sucker... and going further, people generally don't want to be manipulated.. so maybe people honestly decide to be lazy because they want to believe in the lies and trickery.

If you want to beleive the world is flat, there is nothing stopping you.. you can ignore all facts and reasons on why you're wrong. I don't think refusing the knowledge makes it any less an act of free will

CuriousFerret

5 years, 3 months ago

link

@ Mole

Well I suppose I don't respect the choice to remain ignorant and am projecting a bit. It has been known to happen.

I still view it as surrendering control, and I dont trust anyone enough to do that.

Mole

5 years, 3 months ago

link

@ CuriousFerret

I get it... you are around people who are wrong about particular things. Though in the world of today, it's easy for people to literally find the truth. Sometimes it can be hard, sometimes it's very easy.

I understand how you feel... but I can never say these people are giving up their will. In short, they're just deluded. And it's not a victim situation where it's being pushed on to them, they partially agree with the delusion.. and if they agree with the delusion, even if you try to be reasonable with the, they will plush back instead of being open to the notion they're wrong.

It's almost human nature.. and it's very rare for people to challenge what they actually think... until they're forced to for themselves "What. my son is gay.. I guess those gay people had a point.. let me change my opinion because i love my son"

BunnyFoxglove

5 years, 3 months ago

link

There's no point for democracy when ignorance is celebrated.

CuriousFerret

5 years, 3 months ago

link

@ BunnyFoxglove

Well a lot of people will have a difficult time accepting abandoning a social structure they lived in and upheld their whole lives.

Right are granting to undeserving people all the time. It sucks I know.

BunnyFoxglove

5 years, 3 months ago

link

@ CuriousFerret

I wasn't suggesting abandoning it. I was just quoting a line from the song, which gets more relevant each year.

I can't even watch the movie Idiocracy anymore, it's becoming too close to a reality.

CuriousFerret

5 years, 3 months ago

link

@ BunnyFoxglove

Its o.k., I recall watching Idiocracy with a sense of unease to.

KaloTheSkunk

5 years, 3 months ago

link

Edited 5 years, 3 months ago by Owner

Also the apparent lack of trusting others to handle their own affairs for themselves.
The irony being that the types out there who mistakenly call our society "orwellian" act more like big brother in policing the thoughts and actions of others more aggressively than those they claim to be against.

CuriousFerret

5 years, 3 months ago

link

@ KaloTheSkunk

Its painful and frustrating watching someone else pound a square peg into round hole. There is a innate instinct to correct a faulty process. Letting someone fail when you could have given advice if not intervene is extremely difficult for some out there.

KaloTheSkunk

5 years, 3 months ago

link

Edited 5 years, 3 months ago by Owner

@ CuriousFerret

Yeah. It's no secret that humans are generally anxious about situations where they have no control. Especially those which are zero sum and unwinnable. We do have an instinct which tells us we need to feel that we are in control even over the ungovernable. Such as other minds besides our own. It's exactly why we still have a fundamental instinct to feel useful to and approved of by the tribe. Certain types will weaponize this to be used against others to their own dismay.

The trick is to realize when your exercise of power is invasive, unwelcome, unnecessary, and plain tyrannical. Being bossy will leave you with few real allies. It's why half of followers of extreme ideas die pointlessly, while the other half if given a chance would abandon their other half at the drop of a hat.