Why Having Free Will Holds You Back

In today's video, we explore why neuroscience suggests that free will might be an illusion.
Check out Dr. K's Guide To Mental Health: bit.ly/3WPO0VU
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▼ Timestamps ▼
────────────
00:00 - Introduction
05:15 - “There’s no such thing as free will”
09:24 - Readiness potential
13:35 - Struggling with avoidance
17:43 - Superstition
21:06 - Performing a post-mortem
23:52 - Intentional binding
32:08 - Summary & conclusion
────────────
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[@sindere]

I literally clicked this video because I procrastinated instead of going to bed. Now I want to avoid forgetting this concept, and I predict that writing this comment will help me remember. My current options are to go to sleep, continue to watch youtube, anime, game, program, draw, or go for a walk. I predict that I will have a better day tomorrow if I go to bed now. So I will do that and reflect on this decision in the morning. Good night

[@closethockeyfan5284]

helpful example, thanks

[@FractalAgent.777]

Was this a good idea? Or do you wish you did something else now?

[@uwu.-.5873]

​@@FractalAgent.777bro still sleeping

[@FractalAgent.777]

@@uwu.-.5873hahah

[@ItRhymesWith]

How ya doing, OP

[@tirecs04]

1. Give yourself time to transition between activities. 2. Harness your avoidance "in the right direction": get draining tasks done ASAP/when you have energy to take them on. 3. Live life and form connections between actions and outcomes (superstitions). I. "Action selection mechanism" (select an action) Ii. "Motor output mechanism" (execute the action) Iii. "Monitoring mechanism to prove the goal has been achieved" (observe the desired outcome being reached) 4. As with 3 Iii above, retrospect (post-mortem) after doing an activity (especially when you've "screwed up"). Try to do this without involving emotion and using logic for the best results. 5. Make intentional choices; do not avoid making choices (helps increase intentional binding). 6. Choose an option from a large list of options (increases intentional binding). 7. Make a prediction. It doesn't need to be accurate (increases intentional binding).

[@dagfrodesolberg9962]

Thank you! I guess this is what Dr. K had been researching before his talk with Thor as he mentioned some of it there 😀 As for point 4. Could do a retrospective be a better word? Post mortems has a specific meaning to me, focusing on just what went wrong. A retrospective will focus on what went well, what did not go well and what to change for next time. Asking as to see how others understand it here. Also for people who would like to look up examples of these activities 😊

[@dagfrodesolberg9962]

He is using post mortem as the example. With a retro you get to bring what you did right with you as well. It is in general fascinating how close the healthy habits and the debilitating habits are. I guess trying to remove emotions and view the situations outside yourself is key

[@ziwuri]

​@@dagfrodesolberg9962 Keep in mind that emotions, be it positive, negative or neutral, are always present. Observe the situation from a logical perspective, but don't pretend that emotions weren't a factor in your and others' behavior.

[@tirecs04]

@dagfrofesolberg9962 Thanks! Yes, it was fun drawing the similarities of this video with Dr K. & Thor's last conversation. Some of these steps are easier said than done, but that could be a reason to work on the ego. My examples are doing 2 and realizing that I'd assigned all the housework to myself so I couldn't get to the activities I'd actually wanted to do. If you have a partner, there comes a time when you have to split the housework or risk/already be burnout! If you don't have a partner yet there is too much, give yourself permission to say "this is enough" and emotional check-ins. And with 4, not giving myself enough time to emotionally digest not getting a promotion and making toxic conclusions about the candidate who got it. In the end, I needed to better identify how important that promotion was to me and the intentional choice to only do a retrospective on what I did and could do better. Company politics and other external factors aren't something you can control, and will only lead you down a nasty spiral.

[@omdama355]

@@tirecs04 Hey first of all thank you for the summary but I didn't quite understand the 7th point. The thing is when I try to make predictions, I am overwhelmed with negative ones, which leads me to avoid the task because in my mind I have predicted that how "it's not going to work" sometimes I tend to ask logical question but I answer the logical questions with reasons on how "it's not going to work". can you please help with it.

[@HiYesThisIsJake]

Dr K, if you keep dropping bangers like this, I'm going to end up applying for med schools to study psychiatry/neurology and all that debt will be your fault

[@vyvianalcott1681]

Well it's not your fault no matter what because apparently free will doesn't exist lmao

[@jenniferpearce1052]

Hmmm. Maybe there needs to be a HGGG scholarship.

[@pielova305]

It's not his fault, he had no free will in making this video. :/

[@Jake-qf8jj]

bro this is so me and im also jake

[@HiYesThisIsJake]

@@Jake-qf8jj if we get more jakes in here, we might become a demographic that Dr K makes a video about

[@Gomesu_]

For the ones who want to go to the gym: 1. Transition Mindfully: Spend a few minutes mentally preparing before heading to the gym, rather than rushing. This builds a readiness potential that makes the action more likely. 2. Utilize Avoidance: Frame your workout as avoiding future regret. Think, "I don't want to feel bad tomorrow for skipping the gym." 3. Do a Postmortem: After your workout, reflect on what went well and what didn’t. This strengthens the habit. 4. Make Choices and Predictions: Before each gym session, consider your options and predict outcomes. This increases intentional binding, reinforcing the behavior.

[@saym2756]

This almost seems like a type of journaling framework. And something ben Franklin would do.

[@Dan-y-el]

Thank you so much for this concise summary

[@HiYesThisIsJake]

This is exactly why professional baseball players are so superstitious. They're at the absolute top of their craft, having spent countless hours doing these arduous drills, and since the sport is so inconsistent, with the best hitters still failing over two thirds of the time, they latch onto arbitrary things because it worked once or twice.

[@mclarenzbender2]

It's hard to build confidence where you miss even hitting the ball most of the time and you're the only person driving the offense. There's no other sport with that much pressure.

[@Do27gg]

But that’s also why athletes don’t do it because if they miss something it’ll throw them off

[@The8ThMonk]

Nice analogy ☕️👌

[@mrloqqe1610]

@@Do27gg dont do what?

[@Do27gg]

@@mrloqqe1610 I play football (soccer) and some people have strict superstitions/ routines but other people don’t as if you miss a step in your routine it’ll throw you off your game

[@l4kr]

Bro this video is HUGE. My patch notes are already saying I'm gonna have improved life

[@ShangoTheGod]

Bro stop watching KZbin and start living.

[@Skizz101]

Go get em big bro

[@user-cp9yo4jk9b]

@@ShangoTheGod he is living. technology is a miracle that all of the kings of History before us would have waged wars to get their hands on and we hate ourselves for using it?

[@Aceofspades737]

My personal notes 1. Give time to contemplate choices during transition periods between activities. Dont make hastey decisions. 2. Harness avoidance by avoiding the 'wait'. Dont wait until tomorrow to practice, dont wait till tomorrow to clean your place or get exercise 3. Track the results of your actions to optimize efficiency of decision making for more positive results that align with your desired result.

[@Jeffs_Trove]

This might be one of those "hit the nail in the head" kind of video - such an important topic treated with approachable and engaging complexity.

[@GilgameschUruk]

Hearing Dr K butcher „Bereitschaftspotential“ was beautiful 😅

[@Thunddeerr]

:D :D

[@diversity_now]

He really did butcher it, my goodness. That was something very far from German that pronounciation 😅

[@Entwicklungshustle]

I literally had to look at the newspaper on the screen to realize what he even said 😂

[@traywor1615]

If only he would've pronounciated the ei in Bereitschaftspotential similar to the english word I...

[@vetulamortem]

The first time he said it, it did not register as german for me XD.

[@Xemen69]

Was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgen. One of the favorite quotes of my grandma

[@hummingbird1375]

Dieses Zitat kenne ich aus Ninjago haha.

[@traywor1615]

Directly after the variation: Was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe stets auf morgen.

[@oakuvalentine7734]

@@hummingbird1375SAME LOL. “Never put off till tmrw, what can be done today”

[@ssykes7]

Google translate says: "Whatever you can do today, don't put it off until tomorrow."

[@dianadeejarvis7074]

It sounds better in German than English.

[@ethanirizarry856]

Best KZbinr by far. In the middle of an epidemic of brainrot thru media Dr. K gives you all the tools you need to master your mind and your life for FREE! Truly a modern day saint 🙏 THANK YOU!

[@keenerjack]

this is the best channel on this website rn imo

[@clairejohnson5674]

Geeze I need a note pad while listening to this man. Great content. I am a therapist and you have helped me help myself and clients!

[@-pengi--]

Please I beg you to make a video about "when i got it, i don't want it" or "when i get what i want, i don't want it or have desire for it anymore"

[@Invoker-10000]

intentional binding(ie: thinking about available choices and choosing one intentionally) , leveraging superstition circuitry to create a drive into doing certain illogical rituals/actions, using the mechanism of avoidance to avoid putting off work for the future, working yourself up before a particular action by giving yourself time to prepare .

[@Dmobley9901]

I find it funny that this is considered determinism, yet it's also simultaneously not the lack of free will or choice, but an advanced application of it. Essentially saying, you do not have a choice in the individual things you do, but the system with which you automatically do things.

[@Thunddeerr]

You put it perfectly down,damn. I always feel bad somehow grasping something but not being able to put it Into words and you did it perfect.

[@Mico-Xiyeas]

The system itself also chooses what you choose though, why wouldn't it just be gradually changing itself to accommodate the varying complexity and needs of the ever changing environment and human biology?

[@moom81]

excellent summary

[@TSPage]

@@Mico-Xiyeas trauma or negative formative events early in life shape such a large proportion of this system. So if mal-adaptive “circuitry” is learned early in life, it will take very intentional re-wiring later in life to undo. The system is getting passive exp but it could be leveling the wrong things without seeing it.

[@tracerhode1504]

Love the video, I’m only about halfway done, but I’m struck by how much the advice given in this video aligns with the advice given in 12 step recovery programs. You’re often encouraged to act as if you do not have free will, using your will only to search for a higher powers will for you. Meditating and deliberately acting according to that will, not being avoidant of anything your higher power wills for you and act as soon as you can, etc. I’m excited to finish the video!

[@rafaelos6118]

•Give yourself time in transitions •Harness avoidance instead of conquering it •Logical monitoring mechanism after an action •If you consider your options and make predictions it reinforces the chance to do the action in the future

[@lesleyegbert4807]

You have no idea how much I needed to see this today. Haven't even watched past the intro yet, but here I sit, mindlessly scrolling, unable to stop for days on end. This is the first ray of hope I've had in a while. Thank you from a formerly productive person.

[@milomcdermott3466]

God bless you ❤

[@milomcdermott3466]

Hope things get better for you ❤

[@spennypayne]

I had been asking for discussions from Dr. K about Free Will for a while now! Thanks for looking at the subject!

[@vyvianalcott1681]

The conclusion from those studies that free will doesn't exist is a wild leap. Those same researchers have no idea how consciousness works, but Dr K has some idea and he knows that the brain is not the sole organ of consciousness. He showed he knows that in his interview with Dr Mike. The conclusion that you derive from that study is that thought is not the primary driver of action, not that free will doesn't exist. Determinism is just avoiding responsibility for your actions by claiming you had to have done that no matter what. In reality consciousness operates at several levels of awareness simultaneously, thought is the one we are most cognizant of but it is also the most superficial in its relevance to how we feel.

[@nadin3000bieber]

@@vyvianalcott1681Would you please elaborate more on what conscience is in your view? So, like other than your inner thoughts, or your brain, what else could be considered conscious in a human? I’m genuinely interested in learning more about this topic and would appreciate any papers/books/videos you might share on the subject of consciousness. Thanks :)

[@vyvianalcott1681]

@@nadin3000bieber It's WAY too much for a youtube comment, I'm working on videos to describe my understanding of it but who knows if I'll ever finish them. In the meantime, I would recommend learning about Buddhist philosophy, I don't know much about it but a lot of the things Dr K says map onto my understanding of consciousness nearly 1:1 and I think that is humanity's best description of it so far.

[@JohnnyCarthief]

Nobody has any clue what consciousness is. If free will doesn’t exist, what purpose does memory serve? Also, if you don’t know what’s going to happen, how is it predetermined? Wouldn’t predetermination make more sense if we knew everything that was going to happen?

[@cliftut]

I'm encuraged to see people resisting having conclusions pushed on them. There is scientific evidence that disbelief in free will correlates with antisocial behavior and increased negative emotion. I found at least 8 papers with a cursory search. Furthermore, even though the subconscious mind and brain show evidence of a decision before conscious awareness, all that shows is that a naive assumption that the conscious mind is always the source of choice is too simplistic. Part of the world is "mechanical", and part of the self, too. At least. Predictable. The universe has to be this way for knowledge to be possible, and without knowledge, the idea of choice is meaningless. But without choice, without at least a "semi-free" will, nothing means anything, because you are just part of the machine and your actions come from outside you or from meaningless random fluctuations. These are terrible assumptions to base an ethic on, and crushing to the human spirit. Possibilities: 1. The "self" that has free will, that can choose, is actually pre-conscious, sub-conscious, super-conscious, transcendent, something. In this case, the fact that the conscious mind becomes aware "late" is not a problem. Why is it that so many eastern traditions are so focused on meditation, accessing or affecting the subconscious mind, disidentifying with emotions, thoughts, ego, and so forth? Maybe because that's where the mystery and opportunity to develop greater freedom of will lies? 2. What if freedom and influence of "will", true self, varies, from person to person and based on nature, conditions, states, personal development, and so on? What if free will depends on meeting certain requirements, and most of us are barely exercising it? What if it's just a seed of potential in us, or what if much of the brain and body _are_ deterministic and the will can only intervene in certain ways and at certain times? Remember that the will itself could be pre-conscious. 3. What if it takes time for the activities of our "self", combined with all the activities and perceptions of our body and brain, to be organized and revealed consciously? 4. What if our "conscious experience" is actually a report of sorts being presented for the sake of our "self" by the brain? Thus it is delayed, and furthermore has inaccuracies (research the adaptive unconscious, psychological narratives, and studies about confabulation about why we do things). There is plenty of evidence that some or much of human behavior is deterministic. That is different from claiming that no form of free will can or does exist at all. Furthermore, it's possible that free will is so.ething that starys out weak in us, almost embryonic, but can be developed. Dr. K inadvertently hints in that direction in this video. He starts by accepting the premise "there is no free will", but then he proceeds to use the words "choose" and "decide" a lot, and talk about "learning to pull the levers" of our deterministic body/mind. The sounds a lot like a transcendent self learning to interact more and more with a (semi-?)deterministic body to increase the influence of their... free will. I can't help but suspect he is aware of the contradiction and is engaging in a bit of buddhist humor, or perhaps trying to help the part of his audience that are conditioned to only accept strict deterministic views as "scientific". If not, given how balanced and open he usually is to looking at things from multiple perspectives, I have to wonder if this video was rushed, or why he didn't think about his topic more deeply? Especially given that convincing people free will doesn't exist is philosophically unsound and may remove a barrier to depression, loss of meaning, and antisocial behavior. Have some faith in life! Your choices matter! Just, not everything you think is a choice necessarily is one, and your ability to make true choices may take work to develop. I believe this is consistent with Dr. K's teachings from both east and west perspectives, multiple spiritual traditions, and neuroscience, when viewed carefully. But wishes! May our wills become more free with knowledge and practice.

[@drag-ha]

You literally have the best content

[@mommybreakdown]

I’m actually the opposite of the target audience for this video, but I’m glad I stayed anyway because your explanation uncovered behaviors I do on a regular basis. I spend a nice chunk of time planning and reflecting, weighing options, and being super intentional. It’s nice to know the scientific background! I do struggle with anxiety because I think about the future TOO MUCH though 😆.

[@SupaMarioGaming]

Must be amazing, I've been using Dr Ks advice here for only 2 days and its helped me so much!! I worry about the future too, just remember there are things we can control and things we cant. Focus on what you can. The question "what is the best thing I can do right now?" really helps with the future anxiety

[@holdReset]

I really wanted a video of Dr K talking about this ever since he mentioned the eastern idea that we have no ability to influence results of things (in the Williamson interview). I’d love more content on the idea of removing ourselves from the decision and/or understanding we don’t have control over outcome from both the eastern and western perspective. I’d really love that! Thank you for all the hard work team!!

[@joephoffmann4294]

Great stuff! Make a video on using the belief in no free will as an antidote for internalized shame and guilt

[@VicomtesseLylyth]

Has really no German pointed out yet Dr Ks adorable pronunciation of Bereitschaftspotential? It sounded as if there was at least one syllable too much x) I think for English Natives, it could be transcribed like this: be-RIGHT-shafts-poh-ten-see-all Thank you for the high quality content, HG Team! These videos and the membership content have finally given me real access to the information I already learned in med school and CBT. This means a lot to me because it has helped me make noticeable progress on my journey of self-discovery, coping with childhood trauma/neglect, and building some self-esteem.

[@raraavis7782]

I got a chuckle out of it, for sure 😅

[@IMH15]

I just did before seeing this comment. To bad there are no voice-messages.

[@joeyrufo]

Dr. K! At the top level, where all our internal connections are integrated, that "integration" is where our "consciousness" and "free will" come from! It's a metaphysical (phenomenal) "output" of a dialectical (step by step) process! It's not an "event," except in how we interpret and talk about ("interact with") it!

[@chrisgathright687]

Dr K! I think this could help a ton with stuff like doom scrolling. This video truly made sense to me and I believe using this will be extremely helpful.

[@NT07-wi1nt]

I chose to click on this video

[@YeahSon81]

Did you?

[@OccuredJakub12]

​@@YeahSon81 *VSAUCE THEME INTENSIFIES*

[@DavidDavis311]

But the question is why didn’t you skip it? You’ll probably have a few reasons none of which were your decision to think about either. If you look at your thoughts closely enough you’ll see they just ‘pop’ into existence.

[@NT07-wi1nt]

​@@cosmo8771To prove the title wrong

[@patrick5301]

No you didn't. That's the point

[@70othl3ss4]

I think this will help me greatly, thanks!

[@yerpderp6800]

I never thought about avoidance in this way, I thought it was inherently bad outside of survival situations. Really makes you wonder how many other "bad" things are actually bad vs improperly taken advantage of. This is definitely a video I want to rewatch a few more times.

[@Feilili]

"Is it possible that simply watching this video has planted a seed in your mind and your Beritschaftpotential has started to move in the right way" that's funny Dr K, because your video made me want to do my daily push-ups 😂

[@derp__king6144]

Wow this is insane, i have been making a theory on my head that every desision i make is not conscious and later gets inputted to ur conscious. this theory is bassed of many things i have noticed about my brain over the years and here i am seeing you map my entire theory out!

[@mrloqqe1610]

1) Stop and think! 2) Outcome of choice? 3) Prediction. 4) "Choose" and act.

[@jamiedoesthings]

Thanks as ever, Dr K. I finally did a task I'd been putting off for ages after spending some time imagining how much worse it would be if I left it longer. Also been trying out giving myself lots of little choices (whether with the same outcome or different outcomes). Thank you!

[@Jack-fw7wd]

Best video in a long time. Thank you!!

[@vr_connoisseur]

no way, I have been investigating about free will and swinging about getting depressed and finding meaning beyond it and god and so many things... and just when I made peace with it, Dr. K releases this video... well Im gonna watch it I hope i dont get more depressed😂😂

[@the_expidition427]

Hop out of being jacked into the machine VR is designed to squeeze life out of peoples bodies

[@NorthernSpartan]

Bro same here, how are you doing?

[@1gengabe]

technically one could argue that the brain auto requests action, and free will is the verification system of that action, it is like making someone flinch or jump scaring someone, there is in fact instinct that is happening, that doesn't mean free will is not a thing or is not important, but the instinct or an auto confirmed action is without free will Brain Requests movement, Brain has to think about movement, Movement happens, where muscle memory is actually getting to the point where you don't need to confirm the movement request

[@seekingfinding6204]

Everything he's ever said shows that we do have free will. He just likes to make his titles provocative to engage viewership.

[@richardmccabe2392]

That's not really an argument for free will, more like a description of what free will is. You're essentially saying the brain wants to do something, but "you" get to freely choose whether that thing gets done or not. Everyone knows the brain wants to do things we don't want it to do, e.g. if you have withdrawal symptoms from drinking, your brain wants to drink but you don't. The idea of free will is that you can freely step outside of the neurons in your brain and somehow choose every time to not drink. Except free will as a concept doesn't even make sense because it requires you to be able to break the laws of physics and swerve the electrons one way or another to activate the neurons you want. Besides the obvious irrefutable point on not being able to break the laws of physics, it creates an infinite regress. If you "want" to swerve the electrons in your nerve signals one way, you haven't created that "want". You can't choose what you choose.

[@Mico-Xiyeas]

​​Free will makes no sense. If youre choosing what to do, whats making you choose to do those things? Why do you like the things you like, and why do you choose them? Is it random? Or did you choose them just to choose them? If so, why is it that what you choose so perfectly aligns with who you are to? You can say because that's just who you are. But did you decide to be that way? What decided you will be that way? You've been a certain way long before choosing to be how you are. Doesn't make sense that most people are somehow so hardwired to be pretty static in their personality rather than ever changing, in a non gradual manner. Shouldn't it be easy to choose? If not why? Could it not be that there's things that influence and decide what makes it harder for you? Or are you deciding to make it hard for yourself to? ​@@seekingfinding6204

[@mmediocahyt1170]

@@seekingfinding6204that’s just free agency, not free will. Libertarian free will requires the laws of physics to be broken in order to exist

[@goofyahhh254]

I cannot believe how in point you are; you are in sync with my life, but you already said, this is no coincidence and that of course it works this way since we share the same biology, psychology and physiology, for the most part. Thank you DR K

[@dysxleia]

This is exactly what I've been trying to put into words for so long

[@graye2799]

This is the most inane squabble in neuroscience. If you define free will as free from causality, then no, you dont make decisions. But if you define it as making choices based on what you can do, then yes, we do. The idea that all choices we made arent really our own is something that is just intuitively wrong.

[@xzan88]

Arguing that something is true because it is intuitive is dumb. Intuition is an imprecise tool that is wrong about a lot of things.

[@graye2799]

@xzan88 It's not just my intuition. There is also competing data that supports some kind of free will.

[@fluoro4502]

"stupid"... That idea was the foundation of psychoanalysis

[@xzan88]

@@fluoro4502 what idea? that intuition is always right? pretty dumb foundation then. isn't psychoanalysis pseudoscientific anyway?

[@fluoro4502]

@@xzan88 Sorry, but my comment was not directed towards you, it was an answer for the top comment. I actually agree with you.

[@adamdipaolo8092]

Hey Dr. K, my path is very similar to the one you were on during your ashram days. Not that I went to India, but I flunked so many classes during my first Uni go around that I decided to drop out. I did a lot of soul searching, through yoga and meditation actually and had a resolve to go back to become a DPT. Now that I am on the verge of applying it has occurred to me that I am 2 classes and an MCAT away from med school. I have totally turned my life around from where I was 3 years ago but am currently plagued with the same indecision that had me flunking out initially (what do I WANT to become?). I know the odds that you read this are slim to none - but I wanted to shoot my shot to see if I could have a conversation with you about where I’m at. I know you’re a busy guy, so if this comment gets zero response I would not be surprised.

[@hunterxgirl]

One minutes and I’m already glad Dr. K explaining determinism

[@juniperstardust5549]

Dude, this is genius, this is life changing advice, the millions of lives that this video will improve is insane

[@flyingsuqirrel1433]

Is following scenario a good summary? 1. i watched the video and wait 30 secs before doing anything else 2. I wonder whether i should go to sleep and want to avoid being tired tomorrow morning. 3. I set a reminder for tomorrow evening and look back how good it felt to go to sleep early and not being tired. 4. i consider the choices I have now: sleeping, keep on watching, playing games. and predict the outcomes for each decision?

[@seekingfinding6204]

#3 works. I've had to do that to break my habit of being negative about everything regardless of what actually happened. If you sit with yourself for even a moment and think about all the positive emotions you felt about "doing the thing", you eventually do train yourself to think positively about a formerly irritating task!

[@ATGolden]

Turns out I have unintentionally (or i suppose intentionally) defaulted to this behaviour over time... and my life indeed has gone to the upside in correlation with it. Great to see a confirmation and explanation as to why, though.

[@xReDxTuRtLeZx]

i paused after watching about 80% of it because i had to do timely obligations but afterwards i was motivated and pushed by understanding why im feeling the way i am about the tasks im putting off and did some and came back to hear your mention of "if this video planted a seed", i definitely think the info you provide plants a seed each time it resonates and as my mind becomes a proper garden, its starting to make me hopeful

[@-yonatanlevin5206]

I feel that I have more free will after watching the video. Commenting to play the algorithm and share the video with more people, as I think it contains very important knoledge.

[@Smetty]

"no free will" "addiction exists" who would've thought

[@lucidberrypro]

Lmfao 😂

[@feartheghus]

Animals can get addicted to, so they’re not mutually exclusive statements.

[@YourEyes-wl8ke]

can you elaborate im dumb not joking

[@mielivalta]

If there is no free will at all. What's the point?

[@bedro_0]

​@@feartheghusthink about what you said for a second... also fix your spelling

[@Jabeeps]

It's not even 40 seconds and Dr. K is making me have PTSD from thinking about how to remove myself from my choices, yo wtf 😭😂

[@Seftehandle]

I like how he is able to incorporate his own life stories into the principles, which makes them more relatable and easy to understand

[@coffeelix]

Hey, philosophy student here! For anyone concerned about the whole "no free will" thing, I can maybe give a more optimistic take. tl;dr - I think you can have free will, and that it's compatible with determinism. I find that a lot of conversations about free will are skewed by pretty limited definitions of what free will is. People tend to define free will as "being able to choose from a range of possible futures". This seems intuitive but I think it's accepted too readily. The issue is, if determinism is real, then there's only actually ever one possible future. What I don't see brought up enough is that you can still make a choice even if there's only one possible future/option. Imagine you're going to order pizza. You order a margarita and then later find out that they only had margarita pizza left anyway. Your freedom wasn't actually impeded by there only being one option, because it's the option you would want anyway. Your brain subconsciously choosing an option before you consciously choose an option is just like margarita being the only option on the menu. The choice may have been made before you were aware of it, but so long as you're okay with that, it doesn't have to be a problem. Because of this, I prefer to say that we have free will if "our actions are taken willingly". Now, some people might say that it's not really "you" making the choice, because your choice is just the culmination of the environment you grew up in, etc. But I still don't think this is a problem for free will. Environmental impacts/experiences are a natural part of choice-making. Maybe I ate pineapple on pizza before and didn't like it, and that's why I chose margarita. The culmination of my environment is just what I consider to be the reasons for making my choice. On the other hand, if they only had pineapple pizza left, that's where I no longer have free will, because it's not the outcome I want. If free will meant making choices independently of whatever previous input or experience we had, all our choices would just be random. So long as you're happy with the outcome, it doesn't actually matter why you're happy with it, that's enough for you to have "free will". The reason I think all this is important is because sometimes we make choices we're not truly happy with, that aren't in line with our higher values. If we do this, that's when we're sacrificing some of our freedom. Think about it. When you doomscroll for five hours straight, does it feel like you're doing it freely? No, because deep down it's not something you really want to be doing - you're doing it against your will in a way. However, those who tell people that free will isn't real at all, or is some kind of illusion, are sometimes misleading and unnecessarily depressing/nihilistic. I'm here to tell you not to give up! It might be difficult, it might take time to form the habits you really want to form, but if you want to be free, live a life you're truly happy with.

[@trashman1605]

Your version of free will is like ice cream, minus the ice and the cream.

[@coffeelix]

@@trashman1605 mm delicious imaginary ice cream

[@vaniluchy8947]

So basically you're saying that free will does not exist, but you don't need to worry about it, since it still feels like we have a choice

[@coffeelix]

@@vaniluchy8947 Kind of. I’m more trying to say that free will does exist, because free will never required more than one possible choice in the first place.

[@mmediocahyt1170]

@@coffeelixlibertarian free will doesn’t exist. But free agency does. Holding people morally accountable for their decisions is nonsensical though considering the influences that led them to make that choice were either deterministic, or indeterministic (completely random and nothing to do with the agent)

[@faifad]

This might be one of the most important and valuable video you have created! At least it's the case for me. Thank you for your research and always giving us a thorough walkthrough of your process. It helps the ideas stick a lot better!

[@ESC2023]

Everything in life occupies a real but currently unmeasurable meta physical space in the "cloud" of our minds. To allow your own body and mind to help you unbind the worst things you dislike about life. Reduce the amount of binds at any given time, start with one less binding. If the usual is 1late-night, video games, anime and porn and masturbating; then remove your choices of binds but remove fewer at first. I would suggest one that overpowers you in ways tailor made to hook you in. If possible do all of those first but stretched out over days instead of appeasing all desires at once, especially those that are more hyper activating to sensory receptors like porn, drugs, avoidable late night sleeping. Good luck.

[@jordanbalint]

GOOD MORNING!

[@TomTreutlein]

Your videos are illuminating and enlightening. Thank you so very much for making these. It's incredibly helpful. Please continue producing content like this.

[@funnyfunstuff91]

Dr. K helped me more than 6 years of (different types of) therapy. Thank you, Dr. K 🙏🏻

[@Mypremiumacct]

you help me get out of creative ruts

[@sharknadofartquake2449]

But are there neurotypes that feel less bad about the consequences of waiting to do things they should do and how do those people get motivated to do those things when they don't feel as bad as other/most people?!

[@SousaFMP]

Guilt/shame are not good motivators. Their intentions are good, but judging from your comment, I assume it's not working too well (same for me). Positive reinforcement is far superior. When you are kind to yourself, don't hold yourself up to super high standards, and forgive failures, it's easier to get started, because the pressure of failing is much lower. Then, as you start to see the results/benefits of your actions, THAT is what truly motivates you to do it, because you now truly believe it's good for you, you have done it in the past, and it's okay if right now you are not able to, you can always try again. It's the fear of trying and failing that holds us back. Anyways, I try to put this to practise but I am far from perfection. I am a mess, but so far, this has helped me become less of a mess. When I started to ignore the voice that beats the shit out of me for not doing everything perfect (dishes, cleaning room, etc), it started to be easier to begin doing those tasks because I was no longer required to spend 5h on a minor task that takes 5 minutes lmao. Went off the rails here but fuck it, hope it helps someone. Peace

[@sharknadofartquake2449]

@@SousaFMP Guilt and shame are good motivators unless I'm wrong and I'll believe that if the DOC lol corrects me in a reply to this comment. I'm not a perfectionist and don't see a good reason to not keep things simple. The simple fact is I FEEL GREAT every time I think (or my controller allows me to think) how good it is that my controller hasn't made me do illegal things that would mean I wouldn't be typing this now because I would be in prison.😁

[@jimikallioinen762]

This is something I've been thinking about a lot recently. Nothing I do is my decision, something in me does the decision for me. Everything I do is based on what I want or don't want, but I do not decide what I want. What affects my wants are my lived experiences. What affects my way of thinking and behavior is new information. When I get new information, my body decides to either use it in someway or not use it. What affects that decision is the knowledge and experience that my mind already has. I can't change my life to a certain direction if my mind doesn't have the necessary tools/knowledge. Only way for my mind to get that knowledge is either by hearing from other people, or by experiencing something itself, sometimes the experience isn't enough if my mind doesn't know how to process/use it. That's why I think that sharing information is the best way to change the world. We shouldn't always wait for people to figure things out for themselves, we should share the information if we know that it is important information. This video might create a light bulb moment for many, and for many it will just be another video, depends a lot on the person.

[@Xemen69]

sounds like overthinking is a good thing YEP

[@trashman1605]

Don't overthink, just think.

[@m.j4819]

Think when its practical. And no, thinking all day is not practical.

[@torlumnitor8230]

Scientists can predict a coin flip choice 60% of the time? Congratulations you're still within variance.

[@crazystemlady]

50% of the time, it works 100% of the time

[@velo_GG]

very interesting concepts dr.k. i will try and keep these in mind while moving forward in life💪🏼

[@GentleMadManN]

Great video as always!

[@g-l8492]

Finally someone who doesn't just state that there is no free will, but also explains what to do with this info!

[@G4RYWithaFour]

PepeLaugh he still thinks the universe is purely deterministic

[@coegho]

So Aesop was right all along with the fable of the Ant and the Grasshopper, the guy who thinks in advance so he can relax in the future is the one who gets the work done

[@bradseidl357]

The whole avoidance thing makes perfect sense. I work hard and do everything I need to get done for the day as soon as possible because I just really don't want to deal with any shit after 5pm lol.

[@nottomclancy2439]

I loved the video, thank you so much! I am from Europe and my first language is german. "Bereitschaftspotential" was SUCH a funny thing in the video and hearing it over and over; I had to rewatch so many times lol

[@0owmjapo0]

I've thought about this so much haha. Don't blame me. Blame my brain

[@user-iz7fu2dp6q]

That's funny, because you are the brain.

[@GunLobster]

Fallout New Vegas moment.

[@feartheghus]

⁠@@user-iz7fu2dp6qno, the user, if he or she is a person, is more than merely the brain. Free will and personhood require and are directly linked to the concept of a soul, or if you’re not religious you can call it the mind, which is more than merely the brain, the same way it is more than merely the arm.

[@elem3ntkid]

Read Determined by Robert Sapolsky for a very in depth discussion of Libet and the concept of Free Will.

[@imorokr]

That's all I was thinking about!

[@fermintrujillo3195]

He should get him on stream for a discussion

[@Frownlandia]

This shows a clear link between perfectionism and procrastination. Not wanting to choose because you don't trust yourself to make the right choice means you won't act.

[@OnoTango]

Keep up the great content!

[@JenyaIsJustChilling]

You've already made the decision Neo. Now you have to realise it.

[@chadwithautism]

That dude that interrogated me told me that he was from a mental institution and was part of a murder case I ran away like some national sprinter who sucks at sprinting

[@ziwuri]

what

[@chadwithautism]

@@ziwuri after some reflection somewhere in my subconscious I seriously thought he gay tho I seem very gay at first due to my complex PTSD we both hit hard

[@sumsarsiranen]

This doesn't feel related to the video

[@chadwithautism]

​@@sumsarsiranenthe thumbnail shows both left and right hemispheres of the brain with the arrows

[@stechuskaktus8318]

@@chadwithautism I like cats.

[@Sylar-451]

I've been writing a book on determinism the last coupe of years, fueled by trauma, but since that fuel has run low it's been super hard to keep going. So thanks for the motivation tips! Being diagnosed with ADHD last year explained alot too.. Awesome work Dr K keep it up ❤️

[@tanishmaurya]

I don't know how but Dr. K always find the very right topic to make video on, related to the exact problem that I am facing right Now. Magic? IDK but thankyou♥♥

[@Seasonal-Shadow_4674]

Determinism is a philosophy that society dismisses and ignores often without critically engaging with the ideas and theories around it

[@SuperBrosHQ]

People remain ignorant out of fear. The topic around free will is a trigger for people as they don't really want the implications of not having free will to be true even if they don't understand what it really means. The realization made me doubt my faith and ultimately made me leave my religion. It was really hard to process it but in the end it's worth more for me to not to live a lie than living in 'blissful' ignorance

[@aff77141]

It's more that people don't want to think about the consequences for how we treat """bad""" people if they didn't have if any choice in where they wound up, whether it's free will not existing or being squashed by the choices of previous generations

[@waedi_]

really think about what you’re saying here lmao

[@cronchulus5489]

@@SuperBrosHQwhat implications come to you during your life now that you’ve thought and about determinism

[@coffeelix]

Going to agree and disagree with this. I think free will is a topic worth thinking about critically. But determinism is just cause and effect. "Society" generally accepts that as real, in fact it's a fundamental reason for scientific enquiry. Even more so, if determinism wasn't real, then any "choices" we make wouldn't have a cause, they would just be random. But does the simple fact that our choices have causes mean that we don't make choices at all? I'm not sure the answer to that is obvious.

[@RandomUser420]

There are many different ways to conceptualize free will. In fact, the majority of philosophers hold to a position called compatibleism. Compatabolism is the notion that free will is compatable with determinism. Rather than saying that indeterminism is required for one to have free will, compatabolists assert that we can consider our independent volition and intellect from other people as free will. They also assert that determinism is required for a system to control itself. For example most people would say that a rocketship controls itself and yet it is completely deterministic. I would recommend looking into Daniel Dennet and Sean Carol's work on the subject. 😊

[@EG80]

Channeling avoidance makes so much sense in my head

[@ClearBlueSky1]

I gotta say this IS ABSOLUTE GOLD

[@IzumiChenmeiru]

but I dont want to be successful, I just want to be happy

[@iche9373]

Your expectation = reality -> Happiness?

[@TransNeingerian]

Its not that the brain has made the decision bedore yoi believe you are going to move, its that telling people you are going to move before doing so is not natutal and adds more time. And blood flow to a different hand doesnt mean a choice has been made, but probably more that the person is thinking about using that hand - like playing out in their heas what they would say or what would happen. No free will is a non-starter, intellectually dishonest, pseudo-science, not based in reality take 100% of the time in all situations.

[@Slims00]

Cope, true scientists know that there is no free will

[@ndelano]

Exact opposite: free will is a just so statement, and the burden of proof is on those who claim it exists

[@TransNeingerian]

@@ndelano ok, i am choosing to reply to you. I chose that replied when i didnt have to. Nobody told me to. Ive chosen to not reply to comments before. Thanks for making it so easy. Hope you take an improved position given the new info you received.

[@feartheghus]

@@ndelanothe concept is self evident to anyone who has free will and has not gone out of their way way to become delusional.

[@CB-ke9rs]

So easy to implement and SO effective!! Thank you :)

[@jopetsugaming1953]

This video was incredibly useful

[@miramalverick2767]

all that the point of being no free will, for the brain is deterministic.. all that does, is take away my will to live. what do i care about any problems, being the decisions, being procrastination, being motivation, or whatever.. if i am to not have free will in the first place?

[@Beau136]

I was like you for a little while, but then I realized that I still enjoy time with my family, still enjoy eating my favorite food, having sex, playing games, having interesting conversations. Whether or not you actually choose any of it doesn't have to take away any of that. Most of the time, you won't even think about it.

[@miramalverick2767]

@@Beau136 that is true.. but the extent of what having no free will means that everything is an illusion. All of it, the sense of self, feelings, choices, identity, everything that makes your life be and feels yours. if everything is just a previous input which you are to have the illusions is yours afterwards, would mean we are not different at all from a programmed character in a computer, from its design, what his personality, choices he would make and so on. A big lie, all of it!

[@kresovk5]

​@miramalverick2767 For me, beauty of it lies in us being part of both macroscopic physics with our bodies as a whole that lean towards a deterministic point of view. And also microscopic physics as brain functions that lean towards a non-deterministic point of view. We have a free will, but not the absolute one. Like a child, we have just enough free will to be able to shape ourselves, we have an influence.

[@miramalverick2767]

@@kresovk5 i'm aware of it.. i did digged on it as well. That said, i presented myself above differently.. for I find the debate over the meaning of life on a absolute deterministic perspective to be an absolute hell. After all, the nihilistic view of existence is nowhere near close as being horrible compared to having 0% free will.. so i did find amusing the foolish reaction of others to this topic, like its nothing.

[@coffeelix]

I've heard life be compared to a book that's already been written or a movie that's already been made. Even if the ending has already been decided, we can still enjoy the experience.

[@philershadi6037]

I can't choose not to believe in free will, my neurons decided for me.

[@krembryle]

Well, that's sadly how it is. Maybe your brain can't comprehend it or maybe it would ruin your religious beliefs and cause a mental breakdown, so your brain is trying to protect you.

[@walkingamnesia]

So no free will to do so?

[@l4kr]

If you can't choose to have free will then... you really don't have a free will. Bro can you atleast make arguments where you don't contradict yourself?

[@eletom548]

Today I saw this video and I plan to make a report at the end of the month. I would appreciate the reminders.

[@CycIoze]

this is actually life changing

[@permafrostyx]

Is it like zero escape i thought that was video game And i have theory as to why its called zero escape Because the protags will endlessly reincarnate into themselves and cant escape

[@vyvianalcott1681]

The idea that free will doesn't exist is just a way of avoiding personal responsibility. Just because the action didn't come from thought doesn't mean it wasn't a conscious action, your consciousness isn't solely contained within your brain and I know you know this Dr K. You have free will, you need to deal with that and take affirmative responsibility for your actions.

[@vyvianalcott1681]

"How can we program ourselves so our neurons move in the right direction" How are you deciding to program yourself to do that if you don't have free will? I get that you're providing people a tool to help facilitate positive action but that really has nothing to do with free will. It just means thought is not the driver of action.

[@ironcutter2491]

Or maybe to stop thinking you have such a control over yourself which leads to blame and guilt. I will do what I am supposed to, whether I go to the gym or not. I feel very relieved.

[@vyvianalcott1681]

@@ironcutter2491 That's actually a different thing but I'm glad you brought it up because it's an important distinction. Where does that blame and guilt come from? It is created by social pressure, which pressure varies by the exact nature of your feeling of guilt. For example going to the gym; You might feel guilty because not going to the gym means you think you were lazy. Or it could be derived from body shame, you need to go to the gym in order to have a physical appearance that doesn't subject you to ridicule and derision. There are so many sources I can't list them all, we are incredibly dysfunctional as a society and the way we treat each other is utterly without charity, and we in turn treat ourselves with a similar uncharitability. What you're describing is that you've taught yourself to be charitable to yourself, and that's wonderful. It has nothing to do with free will however, only how your will reacts (or as you describe resists reaction) to the social pressures that have been programmed into us our entire lives by the behaviors of others.

[@coffeelix]

I agree with you that a lot of people use determinism to avoid responsibility. But I think Dr K is trying to give some hope to people that have already made their minds up that free will doesn't exist. Those people are the target audience here. If you believe in free will, I think that's good. But, whether we have free will or not, we all have goals and aspirations that we want to fulfill. This video might start a chain reaction that causes people to start living the way they want to. Free will or no free will, I think that's a good thing.

[@Slims00]

Cope, true scientists know that free will is just an illusion

[@Snapslol]

Been implementing this process the past three weeks since I watched the video. I started writing again and posting my work online after months of avoiding it. If there were ever a real life hack, this would be it.

[@Mico-Xiyeas]

Im sending this to my friend. Didnt even read the title but we had long debates about it turned into a whole free will vs determinism and chaos thing. Didnt even watch the video, i just know dr k will deliver here i know what it about.

[@JohnnyCarthief]

So… you apply your free will to give yourself more choices? But there’s no free will?

[@DRUNKonROOTbeer]

Determinism is cringe. Free will is real. Neurons firing before I pass the salt is just physics. I can decide to pass the salt or not pass the salt, I can evaluate why I chose to make the choice I did, and then I could decide to do the opposite of that decision just because I decided to. The neurons that would fire in my brain throughout that interaction would be predictable, but that does not mean I am not in some degree of control of my decision making. That is free will.

[@SuperBrosHQ]

Your cope is 'cringe' lol ,but hey, it wasn't your choice to be ignorant out of fear or whatever motivates you to ignore the evidence. If you would inform yourself about this and would be intellectually honest you would quickly realize that free will is an illusion. Just because you don't like the implications of it doesn't mean it's not true. Watch Alex Oconnor's, Sam Haris' and Robert Sapolsky's videos on this topic and watch yourself beginning to doubt your certainty

[@DRUNKonROOTbeer]

@@SuperBrosHQ I'm familiar with the arguments! Ironically Sam Harris says that accepting the view that free will is an illusion leads to more empathy. You must have missed that lesson, or just not got the memo! I on the other hand just didn't find the arguments compelling. Maybe you should just accept that people will think differently than you without getting all bent out of shape. I know I have!

[@SuperBrosHQ]

@@DRUNKonROOTbeer I actually am more empathetic and compassionate than before and I wasn't trying to sound offensive that's why I even put 'cringe' in exclamation points. I just don't understand how you didn't find the arguments compelling. Back to being intellectually dishonest?

[@DRUNKonROOTbeer]

@@SuperBrosHQ I believe in compatibilism. I believe in free will with determinism. Sorry if I a misinterpreted your comment as hostile.

[@SuperBrosHQ]

@@DRUNKonROOTbeer no problem buddy. In the beginning stages of my research compatibilism gave me 'hope' but after some more research it was clear to me that compatibilism contradicts itself. Do you have some insight for me (or a reference) to convince me otherwise maybe?

[@parkourninja21]

This is OP advice. Thanks for actionable wisdom 🙏

[@dreamisover9813]

Fantastic! This time I even made some notes of the video too in case I want to reference it in the future. Thanks

[@vlkt282]

I find it really really important, I can’t confirm it’s working on me, but I definitely can confirm successful people really have this in one or another level

[@alexlundgren4592]

I love you Dr K. ❤ Thank you for all your wisdom and lessons

[@soanvig]

One of the better videos actually

[@ryanreyes3085]

Excited to play with these tools.

[@crowdozer3592]

"The way you do anything is how you do everything"