There's levers and gears and buttons underneath the surface that you have no idea.
Whatever somebody does, it's a function of how did they become who they are?
Every time we figure out, oh, there really wasn't free will in this domain.
It had nothing to do with it.
This person had no control over that.
Every time we do that, the world becomes a much better place.
So we all like to believe that we have free will, like we have control over our choices and actions and lives, like we're the sole author of our decisions, able to detect and avoid being controlled or influenced or manipulated by either external or internal influences.
And sometimes we can own the fact that, well, sure, certain life circumstances or histories that we have little control over, they play into our choices, but still, it's mostly us at the wheel, right?
Well, my guest today, Robert Sapolsky, has a perspective that may just shatter that notion entirely.
It kind of melted my brain, to be honest.
And while I didn't want it to be true in the beginning, by the end of this conversation, I looked at myself and the world and the whole notion of free will and how it plays into our ability to live good lives just entirely differently.
Robert is a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford and the recipient of many different honors, including MacArthur genius Grant.
Hes the author of numerous acclaimed books like why Zebras dont Get Ulcers Behave, and his latest groundbreaking work that sparked this conversation determined a science of life without free will.
Now, in that book and in this conversation, he argues that free will is not just largely but completely an illusion, that our choices and behaviors are shaped by factors beyond our control, things like our genes, our neural wiring, our life experiences, cultural conditioning, and more.
It's a mind bending premise that pulls the rug out from under deeply held beliefs about everything from personal responsibility to justice and even the idea of meritocracy itself.
It will both rattle you, but also open your mind to so many new ways at looking at your life and how to understand and respond to yourself and to those around you.
In our conversation, Sapolsky deconstructs the idea of free will through this invigorating tour of neurobiology, anthropology, psychology, and more.
And he doesn't shy away from exploring the profound implications that this perspective has for how we view criminal justice, achievement, personal growth, and the essence of what it means to be human.
You may want to brace yourself for a pretty fascinating dialogue that may forever alter your perception of reality.
You may also want to share this episode with a friend or colleague, because you are going to want to talk about it with others.