For me, free will means that we have the ability to make our own decisions, choose our own action, and carve our own path. The discussion in this Rose Café revolved around where this free will comes from and how we can see it develop in early childhood. I tried to pinpoint at how early in my life I realized we all have free will and that we don’t just have to do what’s expected of us. I went as far back as fifth grade when a classmate of mine was making the point that if God exists then why do bad things happen in the world and I replied that each person exercises their own free will and some people choose to exercise theirs that way. Of course, the argument in more convoluted than that, but what did I know as a fifth grader?
Rose Scholars Fall 2019
Endless possibilities
Yes, Free will is a tricky subject. I also believe that it means to have the will to do things, but I also think there are external things that may influence what we do – and can interfere at times with our free will.
I agree that free will is something that is difficult to define. However, sometimes it’s hard to believe that the things you do aren’t defined or predetermined by some other force. I can’t help but believe that there are external things that affect the actions that I take. Yet, I do feel like I have a free will to do and say what I think.