The concept of 'free will' might mean something different to each of us.

From a Christian perspective, I think about “free will” quite often, as it applies to God’s sovereignty. I believe that God has a plan for us at all times but that plan for us as individuals may change, as God determines, according to our free will choices. And God knows all our possible choices and all the possible resulting outcomes. This is sometimes referred to as “Middle Knowledge”. It preserves sovereignty yet allows for all, as opposed to only the fortunate elect, to be saved.
 
Free will means doing as you please instead of what others want you to do. Unfortunately, it often means breaking the law and causing harm and distress to others. You cannot have total free will...there has to be some restraints.
 
If you have the ability to carry out the free will. There can be many barriers to it.

For example, I should be able to move where I want but my stepfather had me trapped here. Plus those feral cats I feed.
 
I have considered that "free will" is an illusion and that we trick ourselves into believing we choose an action free of other influences. We can not be 100% sure that we have that ability. We must consider the complex causes that determine our action/s and by doing so we might realize that what we thought was "free will" was a reaction to something. We trick ourselves into believing it is separate from our experiences and believe we are autonomous from our past that probably produced the response. One probably has to also believe in a personal separate self or soul to have this illusion.
 
Remy said:
If you have the ability to carry out the free will. There can be many barriers to it.

For example, I should be able to move where I want but my stepfather had me trapped here. Plus those feral cats I feed.
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No. You have you trapped there, he's an excuse. Sorry, that's what I see. In the past I have trapped myself with certain people/situations. They are all dead now, so I can't make that claim anymore. You don't have to speak with him every night at seven either.

Not saying you shouldn't live where you're living or you shouldn't call him, but you are doing it of your own (free) will.
 
Pepper said:
No. You have you trapped there, he's an excuse. Sorry, that's what I see. In the past I have trapped myself with certain people/situations. They are all dead now, so I can't make that claim anymore. You don't have to speak with him every night at seven either.

Not saying you shouldn't live where you're living or you shouldn't call him, but you are doing it of your own (free) will.
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FOG. Fear Obligation Guilt. Has run my life. I'd love to just dump the 93 year old but I can't. And I can't even get one kind word of support from my brother on the other side of the country. That's another hard part.

I'll have to disagree with you. I've never been completely free. And never will be. My brother manipulated, weaponized and lied to me every time I stated I was stressed out. He'd say that our stepfather was going to come live with him. He knew that would never happen and it was a lie. But that's what I got in return.
 
(((@Remy)))
Most of us poor slobs aren't free. I know that. I know you're doing the best you can. I am kind of pissed I didn't dump my sister. I had good reasons. One: neither she nor her husband nor her children attended my husband's funeral. I won't go into that except to say I wanted to dump her for years, then 19 years ago, the first time I had cancer, they dumped me. I guess after our mother died it was just a matter of time..........

My point is the laugh is on me. I didn't have the guts to dump her. I overlooked things instead of having the guts to be more independent where she was concerned. I don't want you to add to your regret pile, that's all. I greatly sympathize with you and don't want to sound critical.
 
Thank you @Pepper I'm sorry to say, I will go completely no contact with my brother after my stepfather is gone. I know he's damaged from our upbringing but he's abusive and I'm not dealing with him.

I'm very sorry. Truly. No one can treat as bad as family sometimes.
 
My take is that we all have innate capacity for freewill but whether we exercise it or not is a matter of circumstance. Children's freewill is checked by adults and adults' freewill is limited by the law, responsibilities to others, and moral and social expectations. Coercion is a denial of someone else's freewill and causes a great deal of unhappiness.

When we do something freely we are being true to ourselves. We should own any consequences for those actions.
 
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