In truth, in our world today, there are so many things that are not free. Let's even keep the law aside; family and society are two things that influence our decisions.
Someone may want to do something, but because of the expectations from family, friends, and society, they might choose to withdraw and do something else.
Personally, I have had that experience: I want to do something, but when I think of what the outcome will be and the remark it will bring at the end of the day, I am compelled to stay away.
As much as I love myself and want the best for myself, I am careful with every single decision I make. I can easily make those decisions if I wanted to, but what name will it give my family and me?
How will society see me after those things? These are certain things, as that affects my will, and because of them I will chose to suppress my will.
This occurs even in the case of peer pressure; some people are drawn to do certain things not because it's what they want for themselves, but because of what they see trending among their peers.
To be frank, there are so many things that influence our will, and sometimes we don't even realize it.
Even to eat, sometimes we don't eat because we want to, but because it is tradition and the body demands it.
Free will is something we have, but our free will is always regulated by certain factors.
Even the law in society that gives us the liberty to live and enjoy our lives as citizens of the country has points we can not cross.
No matter how much one wants to do those things that are outside of what the law permits, they can not do it but do the right thing inorder to escape the wrath of the law.
Free will exists, but it is not as free as we define it. A lot of things affect our free will. Every decision we make isn't always out of free will; it is out of well-calculated circumstances around us.
Can we say we have free will or not? Well, it depends on how you see yourself. Being alive for me is one of the biggest freedoms anyone can have; our decisions and choices might be regulated by certain external factors, but at least we can make decisions and still execute them.
That alone makes it beautiful. One thing most people fail to understand is the fact that, regardless of external influences that can affect our free will, family, peer pressure, society, and the law. If our decision is good and decent, we can stand by it and make it stand.
For sure, there would be consequences that might not really be favorable, but if it's worth it, in the end, you wouldn't regret standing by your decision.
So, we all have free will, and we are free, but we have to choose it and also be fully aware that there might be harmful consequences. If you are ready to face them, then your free will can work well for you.
