Why do we choose to do something?
Why do we choose to do something that we know is not good for us, but do it anyway? Do our emotions and desires get in the way? Does our brain make decisions for us despite our brain control? Do we really control our brains, or do they control us? Vote YES if you think we Have good control. Vote NO if you think our barins run us. This can be opinion, no need to do research. Thanks..
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.It’s kind of a nonsensical question in my opinion. we ARE our brains. it doesn’t make sense to ask if we control them.
basher
Level 5
Oct 11, 2019
1
Do we have a "spirituality"?
It's too bad that our brains aren't perfectly rational. I guess our brains don't always make the best decision that will help us survive.
One day criminals will be saying "My brain made me do it."
Sam Harris has a position regarding our lack of free-will that is interesting and worth a read. I don't 100% agree with him but he offers a good argument.
Gawd
Level 5
Oct 6, 2019
1
Sam seems to believe in spirituality., whatever that is. I haven't figured out yet what spirituality means. I think it must be associated with emotion. I guess it means "related to the spirit or soul". I don't believe in "soul", so it sounds like emotion to me. We have emotions, but so do lower animals. Someone wrote to me earlier that Science has proven that some animals are high enough to know that they will die. I would like to see that evidence for sure.
Gawd:
@Grecio Sam does use the word spirituality but not in any mystical or metaphysical way. He uses to describe those heighten experiences we have, for example when meditating or being moved by art or nature. Personally, I don't believe in the existence of the soul or spirit yet I still use both words. I use the term spirit/spiritual in the same sense as Harris and soul/spirit in association with someone's personal core of who they are as a person. Their inner most depths you could say.
I'm very interested in the topic of consciousness and those topics related to it. I've never come across any information regarding animals being cognitive of their mortality. If you that person you chatted with or anyone else provides anything concrete on the matter please share it with me.
I think our brains developed over millions of years to survive on the African Serangeti. That's not the world we live in now (most of us). Modern civilization has only been around for 2000-3000 years. That's like the blink of an eye considering that life has existed on Earth for 2-3 billion years.
Grecio
Level 7
Oct 6, 2019
1
Gawd:
Agreed. We certainly care many remnants in our brains of processes that we greatly advantageous to us to survive during early evolution that now in our modern age have become a hindrance to us.
In general we act when the pain / effort / trouble of acting becomes less than the pain / effort / trouble of not acting. We have a degree of control over it in that if we live by a sufficiently workable empistemology that accurately explains and predicts lived experience, sometimes we can delay gratification or increase endurance / patience in ways that will save us net effort overall.
For example I used to live by the failed epistemology of religious faith, with the result that rather than be guided by what works or doesn't work, I was guided by what god supposedly approved or disapproved of. This prompted me to persist in doing way too many things that didn't work AT ALL. These days I live far more rationally and pragmatically than that, and it brings a lot more value to my life, with the resulting subjective feeling that my life is meaningful and purposeful.
mordant
Level 8
Oct 5, 2019
1
Actually I do not think the question makes sense. We control our brains in that we take in what we see and process the information through filters we have constructed. We do not control our brains in that it is the mechanism that controls our breathing, regulates our heart, and allows for our bodies to do what our brain tells it to do,
dalefvictor
Level 8
Oct 5, 2019
1
Do we have free will, or does our brain make the decision? Can we "choose to believe something"?
@Grecio We can choose to believe something but that does not make it real.
@dalefvictor Can we choose to believe something, or does our brain do that for us?
@Grecio you are assuming that you are not your brain. Or you are assuming that you and your brain are two different things. Do you experience this, Really? In Philosophy this was called the mind-brain problem. I think this problem has been discussed, researched and thought through, May want to do some reading on this. Or not.
@dalefvictor Can you enlighten me any on this question. I have researched, but I am not an expert. If you can, please send what you know. Thanks..seriou8sly.
@Grecio When I was in college some forty-five years ago I took a course on this subject. Back then it was confusing as there was no way to see anything going on within the brain. I have listened and read many sources on this and if I had to start to do this again I would: Look up the mind-brain problem on Wikipedia, a great place to start. Go to the resources at the bottom of the page and follow and read what is placed there. Google has a feature called Google Scholar where one can search for academic papers on any subject. These can get quite complicated but usually, there is a summation at the end of the paper that can be understood.
@Grecio I am sorry if I came across with some air of arrogance, I never wish anyone to feel bad if they do not understand something. I know that there is much that I do not know and I gave you the process I use to figure stuff out. Wikipedia can have problems on some topics. Mostly Social and Political stuff.
@dalefvictor Thanks very much, partner.
@dalefvictor I was listening to this story where a newspaper lady went to a military research lab somewhere in the northeast USA. The lab had this helmet one places on his/her head. The lady was allowed to experience this video game. First, without the helmet. The test involved enemy soulders shooting at her and attacking. She shot back. She did the test and then was told she missed shooting many of the enemies. Then again, wearing the helmet and shooting. After the test, she asked, "How many did I get?" The officer replied "all of them". Each test lasted about 20 minutes, I think.
A bit of both I think.We tend to be creatures of habit and mostly avoid what we think are going to be painful or uncomfortable situations. The question of free will has been debated endlessly and there is no definitive answer,
I think we are at the mercy of our primitive selves and react instinctively at times. A bit like Brian the dog in "Family Guy" who acts like a human most of the time then reverts to dog like behaviour
Moravian
Level 8
Oct 5, 2019
1
Sometimes we choose, sometimes the situation controls us and what we do.
Sometimes we look at the situation, know an action may not have a good outcome for us, but do it anyway because it must be done by someone.
ShadowAmicus
Level 8
Oct 5, 2019
1
We act because we are motivated. I choose to hike because it is a transcendent, uplifting experience for me. Often feelings motivate us to act.
Life is made up of choice and chance. Yes, bad things happen to good people. But we choose our reactions and behavior.
For decades, I debated having a child. I was 36 when Claire was born; her dad was 40. We took parenting classes together before getting pregnant.
LiterateHiker
Level 9
Oct 4, 2019
2
It depends if one is prepared to take responsibility for their actions. If not, the brain did it!
Geoffrey51
Level 8
Oct 4, 2019
1
This is way over simplified, we respond to stimuli for a multitude of reasons, sometimes by conscious thought, some times by instinct, subconscious needs or desires, in response to outside influence etc.
In any of these cases to ask if our brains control us or we control our brains is not a valid question as our brains are a part of us and the brain has a series of functions for which it is responsible, but also is subject to control by bodily needs, chemicals generated by glands and drugs introduced from outside.
LenHazell53
Level 9
Oct 4, 2019
2
E O Wilson said, loosely quoted, that we are a conflicted species, and our survival depends on it. It will always be a struggle to balance our animal instincts against our human aspirations. Or as an old friend used to say... Some days you eat the bear - some days the bear eats you. Some days you both go hungry.
skado
Level 9
Oct 4, 2019
1
Well put. makes a lot of sense. Supposedly, we have a fast brain and a slow brain. The fast brain does things before we even think about it. The slow brain works when we ponder decisions.
We have impulses to do many things, It is not so much a choice to do but a choice what to do.
We choose to ignore consequences or simply endure them for actions we wish to do.
CapriKious
Level 7
Oct 4, 2019
1
You need to add the answer that it's a combination or some sort of a complicated feedback loop. That would be my answer. It's not something that could be that simple or it would be obvious.
MsAl
Level 8
Oct 4, 2019
2
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