Sam Harris has written a book called Free Will. Here is a video of one of his speeches on the book tour.
Would you feel differently about your abuser, or about anyone you might blame for the trauma you experienced, if you believed they weren't free to choose otherwise?
I think Sam is speaking my language in this video. How many times have I been over and over my traumas, trying to recapture my state of mind at the time of the trauma, instead of viewing it from hindsight which can be so harsh and judgmental? Each time, I recalled more information that limited my perspective at the time of the trauma, narrowing the options I had for making "better" choices. I was certainly a product of my environment. I was not the same as I am now, because I didn't have the same information at hand.
I am limited by my intelligence level, which I think most constricts my imagination and creativity. Although, those may be improved, I think, with confidence and courage; fear of sharing ideas really truncates my creativity. Still, my point is that I am limited physical and mentally by my DNA. I am in that small percentage of people who get PTSD from trauma.
I wonder if any of you feel like this video helps you release the hate you feel for your abuser, or for whomever may have caused your trauma, by explaining all the factors which constrict our ability to really choose ANY option imaginable in hindsight or from someone else's creative mind.
Personally, I have many times felt compassion for my abusers and enablers, by applying the same reasoning to them that I apply to myself in regards to "why" I made the choices I made during the traumas, and in various other upsetting or even rewarding times in my life. I feel it would be disingenuous to accept my own flaws and limitations, but then hold everyone else to perfection. That doesn't mean I let them off the hook for their actions, though. Their choices may have been limited, but they still had choices. I think their priorities determined which choice they acted on and that's something that was created for them, unless they are self-aware. They are responsible for making changes to their priorities to align with a decent moral code, as am I.
I really get how Sam describes the way our minds work. Thoughts pop into our minds randomly sometimes, and other times they're created in response to some stimuli... a trigger, a question, whatever. We don't really control the thoughts that come to mind, but we can choose which ones we want to pursue. I think it's fascinating that scientists can see an FMRI, which choice a person is going to make seconds before they know which choice they'll make. Their brain chooses and then lets them know. Can we call that free will? When the brain makes the choice before we even know what it is?
I'm really appreciative of Sam's concept of crime and punishment. I believe that several of my abusers, not all of them, were interested in being caught and getting help. But, we don't really help rapists in this country. We throw them into jail and we hope that they're raped there... pretty much. I believe there is a distinct difference between abusers and predators. Abusers, IMHO, and I may have read this somewhere before, I'm not sure, are part of the abuse cycle like victims and enablers and they take their turns in each role... usually. Victims and enablers take their turns as abusers too, and you can certainly see that in some of us PTSD'ers.
So, to remove the idea that someone can be despised out of their negative behavior, or that retaliation could have any good impact at all in punishing abusers or predators of their crimes, gives way to a more compassionate opportunity for rehabilitation. I think a lot of abusers could be rehabilitated. I think zero predators could be rehabilitated, but that is based on my own experiences and my awareness of predators in the news and such. There would have to be some significant double blind studies proving that a predator could be rehabilitated. However, we'd also have to define the difference between an abuser and a predator, which seems to come down heavily on the individuals "intention" and "volume of victims".
Anyway, even though I don't think we can rehabilitate predators, I don't think we have to hate them while they're locked away. We may hate them, especially if we or our loved ones are their victims. But, that doesn't really do much to them... or for them. Anger can be really useful to victims, especially when it disrupts a feeling of co-dependence on an abuser, or disrupts a connection for some other reason that the victim is drawn back to their defined role with the abuser.
What do you think about the "illusion" of Free Will? Do you think you have free will? What would it mean, in your life, to think that none of us really have free will? Did you watch the video? What did you think?
Would you feel differently about your abuser, or about anyone you might blame for the trauma you experienced, if you believed they weren't free to choose otherwise?
I think Sam is speaking my language in this video. How many times have I been over and over my traumas, trying to recapture my state of mind at the time of the trauma, instead of viewing it from hindsight which can be so harsh and judgmental? Each time, I recalled more information that limited my perspective at the time of the trauma, narrowing the options I had for making "better" choices. I was certainly a product of my environment. I was not the same as I am now, because I didn't have the same information at hand.
I am limited by my intelligence level, which I think most constricts my imagination and creativity. Although, those may be improved, I think, with confidence and courage; fear of sharing ideas really truncates my creativity. Still, my point is that I am limited physical and mentally by my DNA. I am in that small percentage of people who get PTSD from trauma.
I wonder if any of you feel like this video helps you release the hate you feel for your abuser, or for whomever may have caused your trauma, by explaining all the factors which constrict our ability to really choose ANY option imaginable in hindsight or from someone else's creative mind.
Personally, I have many times felt compassion for my abusers and enablers, by applying the same reasoning to them that I apply to myself in regards to "why" I made the choices I made during the traumas, and in various other upsetting or even rewarding times in my life. I feel it would be disingenuous to accept my own flaws and limitations, but then hold everyone else to perfection. That doesn't mean I let them off the hook for their actions, though. Their choices may have been limited, but they still had choices. I think their priorities determined which choice they acted on and that's something that was created for them, unless they are self-aware. They are responsible for making changes to their priorities to align with a decent moral code, as am I.
I really get how Sam describes the way our minds work. Thoughts pop into our minds randomly sometimes, and other times they're created in response to some stimuli... a trigger, a question, whatever. We don't really control the thoughts that come to mind, but we can choose which ones we want to pursue. I think it's fascinating that scientists can see an FMRI, which choice a person is going to make seconds before they know which choice they'll make. Their brain chooses and then lets them know. Can we call that free will? When the brain makes the choice before we even know what it is?
I'm really appreciative of Sam's concept of crime and punishment. I believe that several of my abusers, not all of them, were interested in being caught and getting help. But, we don't really help rapists in this country. We throw them into jail and we hope that they're raped there... pretty much. I believe there is a distinct difference between abusers and predators. Abusers, IMHO, and I may have read this somewhere before, I'm not sure, are part of the abuse cycle like victims and enablers and they take their turns in each role... usually. Victims and enablers take their turns as abusers too, and you can certainly see that in some of us PTSD'ers.
So, to remove the idea that someone can be despised out of their negative behavior, or that retaliation could have any good impact at all in punishing abusers or predators of their crimes, gives way to a more compassionate opportunity for rehabilitation. I think a lot of abusers could be rehabilitated. I think zero predators could be rehabilitated, but that is based on my own experiences and my awareness of predators in the news and such. There would have to be some significant double blind studies proving that a predator could be rehabilitated. However, we'd also have to define the difference between an abuser and a predator, which seems to come down heavily on the individuals "intention" and "volume of victims".
Anyway, even though I don't think we can rehabilitate predators, I don't think we have to hate them while they're locked away. We may hate them, especially if we or our loved ones are their victims. But, that doesn't really do much to them... or for them. Anger can be really useful to victims, especially when it disrupts a feeling of co-dependence on an abuser, or disrupts a connection for some other reason that the victim is drawn back to their defined role with the abuser.
What do you think about the "illusion" of Free Will? Do you think you have free will? What would it mean, in your life, to think that none of us really have free will? Did you watch the video? What did you think?