Life Choice - Free Will or Predetermined Way

A Conscious Choice

Free Will Vs Predetermined Life

A French philosopher, Jean-Paul Sartre, said, “Life is C between B and D, C as in the Choices we make between B-birth and D-death.”

We have two mindsets when looking at life: the predetermined way and free will. Let’s understand what they mean in that sense.

A predetermined way of life is a predefined mindset proposed by society, circumstances or people. You follow this path unconsciously without deciding what to do in life. You have seen your parents and their parents following this mindset. It is also the most conventional and convenient way of life, and you abide by it so much that you don’t even want to explore if any other option is available. Do what others do; wake up, eat, sleep, repeat and die. The motto is - live in your comfort zone, live how others are living and end as others end. Chosen by the maximum crowd, this path is what you are familiar with. Despite having some bearable ifs and buts, it will seem a lot easier and comforting than following the path of your choice, which, on the contrary, may give you anxiety about what to do next.

The predetermined path also gives you a sense of stability and makes you feel you know your life's map. However, even with all the convenience and familiarity of this path, the loss you may acknowledge is a limited mindset and an existential crisis in terms of ‘knowing oneself, gaining potential growth, and self-development’. You may also feel emptiness, despair, and a lack of purpose.

The second mindset is the path of free will, which means creating a life of your choice, will & purpose, going by your heart, and opting for a self-chosen path. It requires courage to carve a life of your own & walk alone on the road while in the crowd of a predetermined mindset. On this self-chosen path, you will have the uncertainty of not knowing what is coming next, there will be no step-by-step guide and very few references of inspiration you’ll find as support, yet it remains the path for self-growth, exploration and open-mindedness. Each step of the journey becomes a milestone of encouragement for you to find your purpose in life.

Exploring every turn on the road and overcoming each hurdle will be a learning experience for you. You may feel tired initially and want to leave in the middle. However, what you get in return, despite all the challenges and hardships, is an unmatchable experience of a lifetime for you, making it all the more worthwhile, satisfactory, empowering & enlightening. That’s the paradox of the self-chosen path, that it might not give you the comfort of the latter, but the experience of being autonomous will enrich you in many ways.

Also, the unpredictability of this path brings you closer to your truth, leaving you in awe to witness your capacity to expand and experience the unexplored, hidden largeness that you carry as a potentiality in you. It is the same path that will direct you to the pursuit of inner seeking and finding meaning in life, and to that unknown and unseen, to that which seems farthest yet feels the closest to your heart, so one must consciously decide which path is bringing joy to life and choose from that standpoint which way to go. It is your life, so make a conscious decision and choose the best!

apaurushey

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Created: 28 September, 2024