# How much free will do we really have and do we exercise it at all? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 15, 2002, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-free-will-do-we-really-have-and-do-we-exercise-it-at-all/98442 "2002-03-15T09:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2002, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-free-will-do-we-really-have-and-do-we-exercise-it-at-all/98442/21 "2002-03-17T21:12:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mangetout \* > **I had already noticed this sort of thing before; as I shave my face in the morning, I always lather it in the same way, then shave it in the same way.** About a year ago, I realized I always shaved the same way and decided to try and get out of the habit. Somedays, I forget and revert back, but in most I try and vary where I start and the pattern used, so that from day to day it is not the same. Your statement about lathering up, really added a new dimension. What I’ve found out is something I basically knew and that is: for menial jobs it is better to have a set pattern and follow it. I can’t imagine also trying to brush my teeth, comb my hair, etc. in different ways every morning. Neither can I imagine driving home a different way every evening or actually thinking, “OK, now take a right turn.” As to the conscious vs unconscious decision, I’ve always just thought _free will_ was being able to decide free of outside influence. As proven on this thread even that would be hard enough to prove and this all ends up being a chicken and egg argument (although more interesting). ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2002, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-free-will-do-we-really-have-and-do-we-exercise-it-at-all/98442/22 "2002-03-17T21:16:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JubilationTCornpone \* > \*\*How can you have free will and yet _fail_ to exercise it? > > If you don’t exercise free will, it is because you absolutely could not? If so, then you didn’t have free will. On the other hand, did you choose not to exercise free will? Then you have just made a willful choice. \*\* Well, the gist of the documentary I mentioned at the top was that we do have free will, but many of the small decisions that we are faced with on a daily basis (like choosing the colour of socks) are not made by the conscious mind, even though the conscious mind is somehow made to _believe_ it made the choice. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2002, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-free-will-do-we-really-have-and-do-we-exercise-it-at-all/98442/23 "2002-03-17T23:31:45Z")
I recognize the possibility that my mind is just along for the ride, and I may not be making any real decisions at all. It doesn’t bother me. If I have no free will, I’m comfortable with believing that I do. If my whole life is written in advance, or if it’s all a dream, why should I get worked up about it? What would be the point of that? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-much-free-will-do-we-really-have-and-do-we-exercise-it-at-all/98442.md?page=1)