Late Night Philosophical Ponderings

Ah yes. It has to come to this. Finally. I was posting some comments here and some comments there and accidentally (all great scientific and philosophical ponderings began as accidents - remember Alexander Fleming and his famed penicillin or Archimedes as he shouts "Eureka") stumbled upon this philosophical word "free will". What exactly is it?

Is it something we possess - the will, strength and power to do what we ought to and not what is and what other people want us to?

Which takes me to my story about the high priestess dwelling among us in our community in the temple of doom precipitating a catastrophic misadventure in personal suffering, personal loss and personal intrusion (much like aliens with almond eyes probing human subjects up their behinds with their protruding middle finger and implanting tracking devices just so they can keep tabs on how we tick and what tickle us - ha ha ha).

If you remember that little calamity, you can at once interconnect to what this musing is about - free will.

I mean you can certainly see for your trueself that sometimes in complying with unreasonable, preposterous and complete balderdash that we may sometimes end up losing ourselves, our own worth, our lives even - putting ourselves in harm's way - to put it mildy and unphilosophically.

That brings to my mind how leaders in every sphere have to heed this. When they speak and lead, they have to know what they are saying and have their people's interest at heart.

Much like a conscript who places his life in the hands of his commanders. It will be assumed that the commanders have sufficiently "tested the waters" and recced the terrain before they put out their troops for deployment in preparation for action or war.

Or a young charge in the hands of his care-giver. That he be sheltered, protected and shielded from harm.

Because if that leader, caregiver and protector does not give reasonable or careful instructions or commands, the recipient cannot comply for he places himself in danger.

Like your manager in the corporation or supervisor in your organisation who tells you to do something which is against what you believe in or is strongly negative or wrong, the employee or attendant cannot follow.

Your manager says: "Climb this stool and take down the ledgers" . You could be placing yourself in grave danger of falling off the stool. Or an electrical part malfunctioned in the air-conditioner. You may electrocute yourself. Or carry away that piece of furniture. You may hurt your back and injure yourself badly.

These are best left to the pertinent people in charge of them, not you as an administrator or whatever vocation you are tasked not related to any of the above.

Remember how I complied and wham - into the doors I went. Besides attributing this to carelessness, clumsiness or an accident, accidents are always waiting to happen.

So free will - never do anything against your better judgement or instinct. That is how I will put it. Otherwise it wil have a consequence. You have the free will to do or not to do anything. But exercise this free will knowing what it entails and its implications.