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The Free Will and the Conflict
Free will, the idea that we have the power to make choices that are not pre-determined by past events, is a super interesting topic in philosophy. Free will in a nutshell – A buffet with every dish imaginable and being able to choose any without restrictions. Yet, a reminder of the elasticity the stomach possess – a conflict. Aristotle, Kant, Descartes, you name it, have celebrated this freedom. But they also recognized the inherent conflicts it brings. In our daily lives as well, we face the dilemma of making choices. Freewill is fraught with uncertainty but also promise meaningful experience.
Remember that scene in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” where Indy has to choose the real Holy Grail from among many cups? One wrong choice could lead to disastrous consequences, but the right choice grants eternal life. This dramatic moment epitomizes the everyday dilemmas we face, albeit on a smaller scale. From choosing between two equally appealing job offers to deciding whether to move to a new city or stay put, our lives are filled with these Indiana Jones moments. Welcome to the wonderfully chaotic world of free will and understand human-decision making.
Who Believes Choice is a Dilemma – An Intra-Personal Conflict?
Free will often is a tug-of-war situation, an interpersonal conflict. If you are still not certain, here is an example. Imagine you’re Frodo in “The Lord of the Rings.” You’re standing at the edge of Mount Doom, wrestling with the decision to destroy the ring or keep it. This is intrapersonal conflict – the struggle within oneself. The situations we confront in daily lives are the conflicts we face within, albeit with less dramatic stakes. Should you stick with a safe but uninspiring job or pursue your entrepreneurial passion that might lead to financial instability? Our minds become battlefields where our values, desires, fears, and rational thoughts clash.
Move to “La La Land”, and here Mia (Emma Stone) and Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) has a choice to make – their love for each other or their career aspirations. Those who have faced this situation perfectly knows how internal conflicts can tear us apart. Each option has its own set of pros and cons.
Choice is to have a doughnut or a salad. The doughnut promises immediate joy but long-term regret, while the salad offers long-term benefits but immediate blandness. Our brain constantly debates, “Do I want happiness now or later?” What would you choose?
Can the Interpersonal Influences Limit Choice, Your Free Will?
Well, it does. We live in a society, the external pressure cooker full or expectations and norms. Just like Simba in “The Lion King,” who feels the weight of his father’s expectations and societal norms, we too are influenced by external factors.
Family, friends, society, and culture all play significant roles in our decision-making process. These influences can either guide us wisely or push us into choices that conflict with our true desires. Choice is yours, whether to get influenced or influence; whether to get drown in the pressures of the world and throttle your inner voice or rise from the internal conflict to utilise your free will.
Wish none goes the Neil Perry way from the “Dead Poets Society” – and face a tragic end struggling to balance his aspirations to be an actor and his father’s expectations to see him as a doctor.
If you want a Hawaii vacation, it’s not worth trailing for Disneyland, else you might end up in a Mickey Mouse hat, wondering how you got there.
Navigating the Choice Conflicts
Embrace Uncertainty:
Life’s choices often require us to take leaps without knowing the outcome. And accepting uncertainty means half the battle won towards resolving conflicts. Think of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” where Indy must step off the ledge in a leap of faith. Embracing the unknown can lead to growth and unexpected opportunities. Who knows ordering a mystery dish at a fancy restaurant might be the best thing you’ve ever eaten or a culinary disaster, but at least you’ve got a story to tell.
Reflect and Decide:
Sometimes taking a step back to reflect and decide is a better choice to navigate the storm of conflicting choices. It helps reduce the intensity of intrapersonal conflicts and aligning our decisions with our true values. Phil Connors (Bill Murray) in the movies “Groundhog Day” relived the same day until he gets his life right. While we don’t get infinite do-overs in real life, we learn from our past and make more thoughtful choices. It’s like revising your grocery list before shopping. Sure, the impulse buys are tempting, but sticking to the list saves money.
Balance the Heart and Mind:
The balancing act is the most difficult, especially when it involves rational thought and emotional intuition. But it wonderfully mitigates internal conflicts. In “Frozen,” Elsa struggles to control her powers through sheer logic and suppression. It’s only when she embraces her emotions and learns to balance them with her rational side that she finds peace. Similarly, our decisions should be a blend of heart and mind. Take it as a task to make a perfect cocktail. Only the perfect mix can give the perfect buzz.
Our Choices Determine Our Growth
Mistakes are our greatest teachers. Learn but not fear the sticks. Each wrong turn is a lesson in disguise, guiding us toward better future decisions. Isn’t there something to learn from Remy the rat from “Ratatouille”. The mistakes and failures he faced in his chef journey made him the chef he always dreamt to become.
Never stop journeying. Sometimes, the journey is more important than the destination. At least you got to go to add narratives to your personal dairy. Recall the special Forrest Gump. His life is a series of unexpected choices and adventures. His journey teaches us that life is unpredictable and often out of our control, but each choice, each step, shapes who we become.
So, next time you find yourself paralyzed by a choice – whether it’s a red pill or blue pill moment – remember that the journey of decision-making, with all its conflicts and resolutions, is what makes life so profoundly rich and beautifully unpredictable. Life is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you’re gonna get. But hey, even if you pick the one with the weird filling, it’s still chocolate. And if all the fillings taste weird, just order both the doughnut and the salad. Life’s too short for regrets.
