The Alienist by Caleb Carr
This novel is incredible and this line has been something I keep coming back to.
"..the answers one gives to life's crucial questions are never truly spontaneous; they are the embodiment of years of contextual experience, of the building of patterns in each of our lives that eventually grow to dominate our behaviors."
I believe that, completely. And I also believe in the idea of free will. The two seem so entirely entwined in my mind. I would venture to say that although everyone has free will, only those who are able to see how and why they make certain choices are able to ever exercise free will. Free will exists in all of us, but only those who can see their choices have it.
"..the answers one gives to life's crucial questions are never truly spontaneous; they are the embodiment of years of contextual experience, of the building of patterns in each of our lives that eventually grow to dominate our behaviors."
I believe that, completely. And I also believe in the idea of free will. The two seem so entirely entwined in my mind. I would venture to say that although everyone has free will, only those who are able to see how and why they make certain choices are able to ever exercise free will. Free will exists in all of us, but only those who can see their choices have it.