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comment by Hein
Hein  ·  4053 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Hubski's Thoughts on Free Will

A year ago I talked to a professional cold reader who did some "mentalist" show in theatres where he baffled everyone with his so-called psychic powers. To him the trick was to make people belief they chose letters, numbers or playing cards for themselves but actually it was his own manipultation doing it for them. He could make people choose red cards over black ones and hearts over diamonds. He could also see if a member of the audience was unwilling or lying and could act accordingly. It felt like a frightening thing to be so easily fooled into believing that you will is free. Many years ago I used to read all the books by swedish writer Stig Dagerman who said that the only evidence for free will is the choice to commit suicide. But if that is a last choice you make what's free about that?





user-inactivated  ·  4053 days ago  ·  link  ·  

I believe that if you think being tricked by a professional hypnotist or stage magician has anything to do with whether you have free will as a human being, you're coming at the idea the wrong way.