Brother Kaman

I could never have foreseen what a wonderful life I have had/having. I am well content with myself. It would be perfect if my wife's health was better.

It is a set up from the beginning. Environment is universal. The universe itself is environment. Unfair parameters.

Nor will they ever be.

Nearly every word in use in the English language is found in the dictionary. That has not stopped discussions of the meanings of those words here on the forum.

From your own example, it is difficult to exercise free will to be in your home when you are tied to a bed in a concentration camp. My free will is always subject to someone else's free will. But we have the free will to make the decisions that we are able to decide. If one was to have a gun to his head and was told to give up their money or die, one still has the free will to exercise any option available to them. Fight, give the money up or take a bullet to the head or any other choice that may present itself. Choices. We all have choices. The choices are made freely.

Free will is always there. The physical ability to exercise it may be lacking.

If man is more than just the physical representation of the laws of physics and does indeed have free will, can that free will be turned on and off by adversity, ie slavery or any other unpleasantness?

Does free will only exist with unicorns and butterflies only to crumble and cease when faced with adversity?

Making a choice to be enslaved or to die free is a free will decision just as driving within the speed limit to avoid a traffic ticket is a free will decision.

Do you believe the same if you exercised your free will outside the limits that the society you live in confines you to?

Thank you, Jonathan H. B. Lobl. I will do that.

I have not been exposed to enough cultures that permit slavery to have an opinion. That said, I would think it would depend on who are the masters and who are the slaves.

I have never read Plato's Allegory of the Cave but I have read several paraphrased versions. I had no trouble with my understanding of it. It reiterates that all we know of our world is due to our perceptions of it. If all we perceive are shadows, then our world is one of shadows. I like to refer to it from time to time in order to remind myself that all I know of my world is due to my own perceptions. What my brain tells me is true is often untrue. The brain does not deal with truth. The brain deals with survival.

I will hold you, your father and family close in my thoughts and meditations.

And how much reality do we truly see? We are limited by our ignorance.

We don't look for truth. We look for understanding and agreement. Physics is an example. We think we understand how the earth and stars work so we devise formulas and math concepts in order to convince others to agree.

There are as many liars as there are people on Earth and each have heir own motivation for every lie they tell.

In a binary universe, you are absolutely right.

Absolutely!

No one is ALWAYS anything.

Cool. Now I cannot be blamed. The choice did it.

I would think that physical strength would be part of it.

I am 70 yrs old. I have no fear of death. I don't care. But finally, maybe for the first time in ages, just maybe, only the strong will survive and thereby a stronger humanity will emerge.

Wow! Are we talking religious counseling or mental therapy?

When someone gives you something, a Christmas gift, a bag of groceries, an ugly painting or anything, anytime of year or for any reasons, the gift becomes your property and you may use it or dispose of it to suit yourself. There should be no angst. A simple thank you should work just fine. If the giver were to ask about it later, you should tell them the truth. Perhaps you regifted, perhaps it had an accident when you tripped and it fell into the trash can. Perhaps you could tell them, "You know, I am diabetic so I gave the box of expensive candy to the brat next door. If they don't ask, don't worry.