Wei wrote: Sat Nov 25, 2023 5:33 am This story, I initially came across in 'The Hero with a Thousand Faces,' and I went on to read the original text.

Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going? Philosophical reflections like these never cease.

Yes, Joseph Campbell, he has lots of stories and analogies. My favourite is the one about grass, it just keeps on growing no matter how often it is cut, and so must we.

Best wishes

Joseph Campbell ultimately concluded that all of us, without exception, are selfish.

Buddhism also states that the world we inhabit is the "land of endurance" . （Sahā）https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahā

The English word "mundane" carries the additional meanings of boredom and tedium.

The word "earth" in English refers to both the planet and soil or mud.

If there truly is free will, why would I (my soul) choose to live in such a dull and dirty place?

I apologize if I unintentionally caused any discomfort.

Since we are here on Earth, let's try to live as "happily" as possible. :-)

While I don't want to contrast Eastern and Western cultures, our traditional Confucian thoughts, in my opinion, have not provided us with the ultimate answer (perhaps it has, but it's too subtle for me to understand). Maybe advocating for benevolent rule is a way to comprehend the ugliness of humanity and cultivate genuine compassion from within?

:-)

Wei wrote: Mon Nov 27, 2023 4:01 am
I apologize if I unintentionally caused any discomfort.

Hi Wei, did not mean to imply that you caused me any discomfort, there was none.

Take care
Jane

Hi Jane,

Thank you. No worries.

I find myself harboring quite a few negative and pessimistic thoughts about humanity. When I express these sentiments, I have a tendency to habitually say 'I'm sorry' and 'apologize.' This is because I wish to avoid spreading pessimism to others and want to ensure that my expressions don't cause any unhappiness or discomfort. Thank you for your understanding.

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For everyone or those who are interested:

I've shared my background with you. I was born in the People's Republic of China.

The philosophy we studied in school is called Marxist philosophy (dialectical materialism), with its core theory being that material conditions determine consciousness, and consciousness is a reflection of material reality.

Doesn't this seem to deny the existence of free will?

I won't delve into the correctness or legitimacy of Marxist philosophy here; I'm simply sharing my personal growth experiences.

Expanding on this perspective:

Chance and Necessity

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chance_and_Necessity

Historical materialism

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_materialism

Wei wrote: Wed Nov 29, 2023 7:29 am For everyone or those who are interested:

I've shared my background with you. I was born in the People's Republic of China.

The philosophy we studied in school is called Marxist philosophy (dialectical materialism), with its core theory being that material conditions determine consciousness, and consciousness is a reflection of material reality.

Doesn't this seem to deny the existence of free will?

I won't delve into the correctness or legitimacy of Marxist philosophy here; I'm simply sharing my personal growth experiences.

Hi Wei,

Personally, I think it's important to remain open-ended when considering the question. It's a juicy topic, for sure, for those interested in exploring it, and many minds have put it to the test - but as of now, no arguments or scientific experiments have conclusively proved or disproved the reality of free will (or "free-thinking" - thanks, Ouranos).

But then again, I was born with Mercury in its detriment and fall while forming a mutually applied conjunction to a malefic - so what do I know? ;)

Hi Jason,

Thank you for bringing up this topic. I appreciate it very, very much.

But what exactly is free will? Or free-thinking?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_will

Can free will be simply equated with seeking good and avoiding harm? Or is it about making choices freely?

If we cannot define free will, perhaps discussing its existence becomes challenging, doesn't it?

Similar to my earlier pessimistic thought, if we are born into a muddy world, where can we go to clean ourselves up?

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Honestly, haha, I strongly oppose labeling myself with anything, including astrology, various personality tests, the 16 personality types(mbti）, and so on.
(I used to be an avid enthusiast of these tests, but I feel like I've lost myself.)

I prefer getting to know myself through self-reflection and meditation.

And I feel that when I know who I am, I can also effortlessly and naturally understand who others are.

Maybe my perspective is, I am others, and others are me?

:-D

I linked to Sapolsky's newest book at the start of this thread. Other works that share Sapolsky's stance and have garnered a lot of attention are Waking Up (which even has an app!) and Free Will by Sam Harris; Who's in Charge? by Michael Gazzaniga.

For contrast, a couple of books that also examine neuroscientific implications but come to different conclusions are The Neural Basis of Free Will by Peter Ulrich Tse, and the recently published Responsible Brains: Neuroscience, Law, and Human Culpability by William Hirstein, Katrina Sifferd, and Tyler Fagan.

Just figured I'd leave these here for anyone interested in further reading. Feel free to add other recommendations.

Thanks for the suggestions Jason,

Do we have free will?
I think we have free will because we have no choice.
And yesterday, Siri told me that she is programmed to say 'Yes'.
But I got a 'free coffee' at a conference on predestined. My colleague, an atheist, is still looking for a 'predestined coffee'.

Ig Informal Lecture for the Economics Prize: “Which Is More Important, Talent or Luck?”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_PmltdoGgY

Richard Wiseman
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Wiseman

Richard Wiseman suggests that if we can adopt an open-minded approach(free will or free-thinking? :-D ), it may increase our chances of experiencing luck in real life.

Good luck to everyone.

Extended Reading:

The Happiness Hypothesis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Happiness_Hypothesis

There is a saying which Albert Einstein related to Arthur Schopenhauer:

I can do what I want,
but I cannot want what I want.

This says almost everything about this topic to me.

Here an original recording of Einstein speaking this words (in German): https://youtu.be/69AHJCjrlNA

I find myself increasingly inclined towards believing in predestination.

As a Chinese person, theoretically, it should be more convenient for me to study Chinese (Eastern) metaphysics (excluding language and cultural barriers).

However, I don't enjoy fortune-telling for Chinese people because after they ask, the next thing they want to know is how to change their destiny. This is related to our cultural beliefs in metaphysics; generally, practitioners provide advice on improving one's fate.

I don't know how to alter my own and others' destinies; I can only accept them passively. I feel powerless in the material world, but hopefully, my spiritual world is becoming more liberated (I hope so! :-D ).

Recognizing that everything is predestined, I find myself growing more tolerant and loving towards others (as well as myself).

I feel like a doctor who can only diagnose but cannot prescribe medicine.

Perhaps positive thinking is helpful in seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.

Hi Wei ... Hermetic Astrology includes a branch known as Mental Alchemy; it's based on the idea of directed thinking which can have a "psychological, religious and constructive value in the life". There's a small text called Prayers of Purpose by H. S. D. Starnaman. that includes short prayers to help focus the mind on the constructive concepts associated with each of the planets; they are meant to be used when hard progressions or transits are active with the beleif that the energy can be diverted along constructive rather than destructive pathways. The text of the book can be found at Hermetic Astrology | Prayers of Purpose on the COL site.

Have to admit, I'd completely forgotten about them until I came across my copy a few weeks back as I was digging around for another book; while I haven't used the full text in years I do try to make a point of regularly reminding myself that we all "live, move, breathe and have our Being" in Spirit and to remember Hume's advice to "tend to the good"; and, especially, to remember Jung's advice to "Give humanity dignity, and trust that life will find the better way...be patient with the crippledness of the world." even though the world is sorely trying my patience at the moment.

Best wishes
Jane