Is there such a thing "choice"
Discussion
OK guys and girls, hear me out on this. I have studied quantum physics for a number of years and have come up with a number of daft theories in my time. On those free moments I have sitting on the bog I have often contemplated if there is such a thing as "choice"
Let me give you an example, I will try to keep this as simple as possible, it’s easier to explain graphically but I don’t have that option here:
If you are walking down a road and came to a fork in the road, you can either go left or right or so you think. At that point you think you have a choice. Let’s say you went right, you have set yourself on a particular path that can’t change. You may think you could go back and take the left turn, but what you would actually be doing is taking the right, doing a 180 back to the junction then taking the left. If you took those actions and stretched them out you would have a straight line as we live a linear existence. And as things are linear therefore you can’t have a deviation therefore no choice.
So in conclusion the option to turn left never existed to you in the first place because you were always going right to start with. You don’t have the ability to go back in time and take the left turn, therefore the left turn never existed in the first place, therefore no such thing as choice.
You may have to read this a couple of times before responding
Discuss
Let me give you an example, I will try to keep this as simple as possible, it’s easier to explain graphically but I don’t have that option here:
If you are walking down a road and came to a fork in the road, you can either go left or right or so you think. At that point you think you have a choice. Let’s say you went right, you have set yourself on a particular path that can’t change. You may think you could go back and take the left turn, but what you would actually be doing is taking the right, doing a 180 back to the junction then taking the left. If you took those actions and stretched them out you would have a straight line as we live a linear existence. And as things are linear therefore you can’t have a deviation therefore no choice.
So in conclusion the option to turn left never existed to you in the first place because you were always going right to start with. You don’t have the ability to go back in time and take the left turn, therefore the left turn never existed in the first place, therefore no such thing as choice.
You may have to read this a couple of times before responding
Discuss
Streetrod said:
OK guys and girls, hear me out on this. I have studied quantum physics for a number of years and have come up with a number of daft theories in my time. On those free moments I have sitting on the bog I have often contemplated if there is such a thing as "choice"
Let me give you an example, I will try to keep this as simple as possible, it’s easier to explain graphically but I don’t have that option here:
If you are walking down a road and came to a fork in the road, you can either go left or right or so you think. At that point you think you have a choice. Let’s say you went right, you have set yourself on a particular path that can’t change. You may think you could go back and take the left turn, but what you would actually be doing is taking the right, doing a 180 back to the junction then taking the left. If you took those actions and stretched them out you would have a straight line as we live a linear existence. And as things are linear therefore you can’t have a deviation therefore no choice.
So in conclusion the option to turn left never existed to you in the first place because you were always going right to start with. You don’t have the ability to go back in time and take the left turn, therefore the left turn never existed in the first place, therefore no such thing as choice.
You may have to read this a couple of times before responding
Discuss
I think it falls over at that point. To me, when you get to the fork, you have a choice of which linear path to take. Then when you get to the next fork, you have another choice, if you see what I mean. I don't think it follows that linear = no deviation...Let me give you an example, I will try to keep this as simple as possible, it’s easier to explain graphically but I don’t have that option here:
If you are walking down a road and came to a fork in the road, you can either go left or right or so you think. At that point you think you have a choice. Let’s say you went right, you have set yourself on a particular path that can’t change. You may think you could go back and take the left turn, but what you would actually be doing is taking the right, doing a 180 back to the junction then taking the left. If you took those actions and stretched them out you would have a straight line as we live a linear existence. And as things are linear therefore you can’t have a deviation therefore no choice.
So in conclusion the option to turn left never existed to you in the first place because you were always going right to start with. You don’t have the ability to go back in time and take the left turn, therefore the left turn never existed in the first place, therefore no such thing as choice.
You may have to read this a couple of times before responding
Discuss
ks...It seems to me that what you are actually saying is that once you have made a choice you can't then go back and make the different one instead. You could have gone left originally but then you could have never gone right. I'd say at best you have shown that you should think before you make choices because situations never repeat themselves.
Or maybe I just don't understand what you said.
Or maybe I just don't understand what you said.
Davey111 said:
It seems to me that what you are actually saying is that once you have made a choice you can't then go back and make the different one instead. You could have gone left originally but then you could have never gone right. I'd say at best you have shown that you should think before you make choices because situations never repeat themselves.
Or maybe I just don't understand what you said.
You are on the right path, we are conditioned to think we have a choice, some people think that our lives are mapped out, if that is the case then choice does not exist which is very difficult to accept. You can apply various scientific theories to this question that back up what I am saying.Or maybe I just don't understand what you said.
Now just to add, I don’t necessarily believe what I am saying here, it’s just that my research seems to back me up which to be honest I don’t like as I would prefer to think I have a choice.
By the way I can be a bit of a geek sometimes
Streetrod said:
Davey111 said:
It seems to me that what you are actually saying is that once you have made a choice you can't then go back and make the different one instead. You could have gone left originally but then you could have never gone right. I'd say at best you have shown that you should think before you make choices because situations never repeat themselves.
Or maybe I just don't understand what you said.
You are on the right path, we are conditioned to think we have a choice, some people think that our lives are mapped out, if that is the case then choice does not exist which is very difficult to accept. You can apply various scientific theories to this question that back up what I am saying.Or maybe I just don't understand what you said.
Now just to add, I don’t necessarily believe what I am saying here, it’s just that my research seems to back me up which to be honest I don’t like as I would prefer to think I have a choice.
By the way I can be a bit of a geek sometimes
So in essence what you're saying is, everything is absolutely pre-ordained and each and every one of us is set on a course that cannot be deviated from?
ie regardless how many times we change our minds about something, regardless how far into the plan we get before changing the plan - where we end up in the end is where we were always going to end up?
ie regardless how many times we change our minds about something, regardless how far into the plan we get before changing the plan - where we end up in the end is where we were always going to end up?
bull996 said:
Streetrod said:
what you would actually be doing is taking the right, doing a 180 back to the junction then taking the left.
If you did a 180 surely you would just go staight on when you get back to the junction.....if you turned left you would be back in the road you came from.What I am trying to point out here is that each turn is an action that happens in linear fashion. Therefore it follows a time line, and as it’s impossible to deviate from a time line you could not have such a thing as a fork and therefore a choice.
ApexJimi said:
So in essence what you're saying is, everything is absolutely pre-ordained and each and every one of us is set on a course that cannot be deviated from?
ie regardless how many times we change our minds about something, regardless how far into the plan we get before changing the plan - where we end up in the end is where we were always going to end up?
First before everyone gets their knickers in a twist, this is just a light hearted discussion and not to be taken seriously.ie regardless how many times we change our minds about something, regardless how far into the plan we get before changing the plan - where we end up in the end is where we were always going to end up?
Back to your point, each time you change your mind, is a follow on from the time before, so therefore linear, you can’t go back in time and unchange your mind, you can only change it in the future, so each decision follows a particular path which in the end will lead to a particular conclusion.
The only way you could change this is if you believe in parallel universes, i.e. the fork in the road has two versions of you, one on the left and one on the right, each then follows its own path
FWIW, I think the perspective is wrong.
The original argument is predicated on choice being the ability to undertake a one of (for example two) courses of action then being able to also take the second course with consequence of taking the first course.
Its fine to view life as a linear progression, however that concept ignores the other branches or possiblities which, even if not taken, still exist.
So yes, choice does exist, within the parameters of the society we live in.
The original argument is predicated on choice being the ability to undertake a one of (for example two) courses of action then being able to also take the second course with consequence of taking the first course.
Its fine to view life as a linear progression, however that concept ignores the other branches or possiblities which, even if not taken, still exist.
So yes, choice does exist, within the parameters of the society we live in.
I think I know what you are saying. While there may appear to be many choices at any junction you can only take one. Therefore the choice you take is the only choice. You are only ever able to take one course of action. However, I don't feel comfotable leaping from "You can only make one choice and then not take that back and return to the original position to make a choice" to "As you can't take the other choice then that choice never existed"
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