free will or determinism
fiction
edward w pritchard
Talking to an intelligent woman recently we got to disagreeing on free will vs. determinism in achieving happiness. Her being a lot smarter than I but me being much older and battered around more by life.
Your are supposed to be happy where ever you find yourself, four walls do not a prison make, given a year after a tragedy or windfall most people will be about as happy as before said she. Her quoting without realize it Socrates, the stoics and those guys. Her position being living a good life of moral virtues, meaning a life well lived upholding the values and ethics we are taught and believe and using them to approach the opportunities and challenges of life will lead to happiness. We make our own luck, we are free agents in the world.
Me sometimes a bit sad myself in the world took the approach of Aristotle. To be happy requires along with proper attitude, understanding and action a bit of good fortune or if a believer sufficient blessing from the Lord.
To be born severely handicapped, more than an acceptable amount of emotionally ill, a slave in Pre- civil war America, a child in severe poverty anywhere in the world today is more than unfortunate; your choices in life are severely determined.
I choose to listen to blues music sometimes and ache for the inequities in the World even if they are far away from me here and now.
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