Does your dog really love you?
Why do liberals and conservatives need each other?
If we're physiologically programmed to make the choices we make, what's the point of trying to better ourselves?
These are some of the topics that arise when the Rabbi and the Shrink discuss the ethics of free will.
Why do we exert ourselves at the gym? Because we recognize that we can make our bodies stronger. Why shouldn't we be able to the same thing with our minds?
Is "I had no choice" just a cop-out?
Obviously genetics and environment influence our actions. But do the exempt us from responsibility?
Temptation is an opportunity to summon our better angels.
Life is like a battlefield. Habits are conquered territory. Aspirations are territory I hope to conquer. Free will takes place on the battlefront.
Struggle is the evidence that free will is in play.
There are three times when free will are in play:
1) When we are aware of our choices.
2) When we are tempted to do good.
3) When we are tempted to do bad.
Reaching out to the "life line" of a trusted friend or advisor for help or counsel can give us strength to resist or avoid wrong choices.
Three steps to ethical choices:
1) Objectively evaluate ethical principles.
2) Logically evaluate choices in the moment.
3) Intuitively evaluate choices after the fact.
Feelings are part of the process but often unreliable because of our natural and unconscious biases.
The worst thing you can do when a person is emotional is respond with logic.
Human beings are psychological, not logical creatures.
Awareness of our predispositions then making the effort to understand is how we restore rational equilibrium.
Listen to people you disagree with and you will learn more about yourself.
Constructive disagreement: conservatives and liberals need each other so they don't mutate into extremist ideologies.
What makes an effective teacher?
Ask yourself: What kind of persona do you want to become?
Response vs. reaction. Response is the root of responsibility.
The word of the day: azimuth
An arc on the horizon; a bearing from where I am to where I want to get.
If we don't have a clear focus on our destination, we'll go around in endless circles.
Struggle is the proof of free will and the method of strengthening our free will.
