Every day we live and choose; but do we actually want to?
Free will is at the heart of humane philosophical discussion. From whether we even have free will, to what is right or wrong to use it for, there's always debate, but no true answer. I think there's something important to be known here though; whether we do or don't, should we act as though we do? That way, whatever truth we find ourselves with, we should be the overlord of it.
We can see this harsh lesson from many anime. In Tokyo Ghoul, Ken Kaneki struggles with his refusal to pick either humans or ghouls. Jonah from Jormungand passes his free will off to Koko Hekmatyar. Kida from Durarara!! allows his past to prevent his future, along with depending on Izaya for decision. Jet from Cowboy Bebop drifts to avoid any decision, like his companion Spike. They all miss the opportunity cost. They allow the word around them, their societies and more, told hold power over the individual over anything else.
But, we witness anime where things can turn out okay, if one is careful. Gurren Lagann and Simon present us with how following, in this case Kamina, ended up making Simon better. Trigun and Vash the Stampede as always provides us with some hope, this time in never choosing one over another, good or evil. Death Parade presents us with pain as a necessity, but where choosing it makes the end better. And our course, Psycho-Pass is all about free will, from Akane to Makishima.
Today we'll look at these anime, and explore the pain of free will, the suffering of choice, but higher the cost of indecision. We’ll see we have no choice but to choose.
#anime #animeanalysis #professorviral #tokyoghoul #cowboybebop #psychopass
0:00 Part 0: Introduction
2:37 Part 1: Always Saying No
19:21 Part 2: Learning to Say Yes
32:24 Part 3: A Moment, or a Lifetime?
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I feel you man, being "go with the flow" only satisfies you until you realize that you're living in a life shaped by nothing. Growing up, I was never stressed because I never made decisions for myself. If anything bad happened in life, then the universe just didnt go my way that day. Living like that for so long has made stress a constant, and I'm trying to figure out how to make my own decisions at the age of 27. I'm starting to realize that the stressors in my life are due to my own inaction, but making decisions that could worsen my current situation is scary, paralyzing even. But I'm finding that even negative results stemming from my own actions are almost reassuring in a way. Each decision chips away at a wall that has slowly accumulated over the years. Thanks for helping me realize that I'm not alone.
Update: after watching this I built up the courage to ask out this girl I really like, and your boy has a date next Saturday! Thanks philosophical anime man!
@@colebradford4365 That's awesome! Love a good success story 👍
@@colebradford4365 tell me how the date goes, good luck man
26 and feeling the exact same
First of all I feel like making decisions would be easier as an adult if parents actually allowed to have their kids make their own decisions same thing goes to the school system Secondly being able to go with the flow is very important from what I've learned because if you cannot adapt to new situations that you were not expecting when things don't go to plan you just going to be stuck there wondering what to do Frozen
As an old doctor once said, "Sometimes you only have bad choices... but you still have to choose."
As someone desperately struggling for a more ideal world, that's been one of the harshest facts of life. I want people to be able to make good decisions for themselves. But sometimes all we can do is pick the least awful one. And a lot of the time, we'll never know if that's what it really was
@@ProfessorViral you using neopronous and talking about struggle of life... Living in strange obscure scientific gnostic faith, can be really harsh not only for you, but for ordinary non believers.
@@rrobak6477 wtf is neopronouns?
The worst decision is the one where you don’t make a decision…I think even more important is to make a decision that you can live with. A decision with no regrets.
Thats where I find myself now. I've started to make the decision; now I have to put the fear of having made the wrong one behind me, and follow the path I in part chose with vigor
@@ProfessorViral Why? It's not like reconsidering takes a lot of resources.
@@MrCmon113 it takes a lot of mind trapping thinking to loop your thoughts.
I'm sad to inform you, but those decisions do not exist. I once also dreamed of a life with no regrets, but... Nope. All coins have another side. I guess we live with that too.
Even a wrong choice is a good one in that it will provide the potential of a learning experience, while apathy is just surrendering to entropy and slowly dying.
i just turned 20 about a week ago and fuck this video hit so hard. i dropped out of a college that i never really wanted to go to mid pandemic because i couldn’t go on any longer but since then i haven’t really done anything. i’ve been working a button monkey desk job that i hate because it pays the bills and im losing interest in everything that used to bring me joy and it’s terrifying. i keep telling myself i just need to stick it out for a bit longer and eventually i’ll be in a financially stable enough spot to do something i actually like but i don’t even know what i like anymore. this video made me realize that im really just drifting on the path of least resistance and i don’t even know who i am anymore. gonna have a lot of hard growing and thinking to do from here on out. thank you for being my therapy in a world where true help always seems just out of reach.
I'm happy I was able to start a bit of an introspective process. I hate that in our world we have to endure things we hate for stability, but it is sadly a consideration we must all take. What comes next, deciding what is and isn't worthwhile is a hard task, and one we'll always question. But I hope you'll be able to make a careful decision which will lead you somewhere positive. And while I, and others may feel late, there's never such a thing as too late. We can decide whenever it feels right. Just make sure to be careful : )
Hey I can’t help you specifically but I’m roughly the same age as you and went thru the same thinking patterns, but a really great KZheadr/streamer that helped me is HealthyGamerGG with Dr.K. He has a bunch of content on topics like life feeling meaningless, finding purpose, and a bunch of other stuff to sort your mental health out a bit better.
In my mid 20s now and I feel the same dude. Though I didn’t drop out, it took me almost 6 YEARS to graduate (that’s 25% of my ENTIRE TIME ALIVE!), only to get a Degree that’s USELESS to me and realizing I wasted most of my time in college being alone in my dorm room due to depression. Getting a job with little experience but a college degree turns out to be USELESS and NOT the free ticket people swear it is. BUT these past 2 years taught me so much about what it truly means to be an independent, trustworthy adult, and what it truly means to flourish in life. It’s starting to look better for me despite having to start over from scratch career wise. Do NOT GIVE UP! Hate your prison of a life MORE than the anxieties and fears of breaking out of it. Have faith and press forward on that faith, no matter what your feelings or your external situation may be. Things won’t get better unless you keep moving forward: I know it’s cliché but as God is Good and the sky is blue, THIS saying is so true
therapy... right. here's this therapy: take yourself to the beach, find a stranger, shoot them, don't care
@@WardofSquid Being a current college student pursuing a Bachelor's in IT, reading this terrifies me to the core. I want to say It'll be different for me, but I don't even know how I'll make it different.
You end your story saying that it's depressing, but ultimately what I see is growth. And growth from hardship is far from depressing, it's uplifting, even.
Ah, a fellow stoic
Life would be so simple if we had a do-over button. Dont like this direction, just rewind and pick another path. Jonah not knowing what he wants but wanting more is very relatable. Although having your life predetermined feels so much more comfortable. Makishima is correct in saying we only have value when acting on our own will. No one truly wants to be a puppet.
But if we had that, what's does that accomplish? Yes at times I wished I had a Do over button, but what if even when we get that we end up in the same direction, just from a different starting point?.
@@alzingafagan7501 well we keep trying out different things and see where it leads. If theirs no other options now, maybe later on.
@@jinchuriki7022 yeah but in the end, you'll spend more time redoing and trying to fix mistakes instead of actually living. Because if all you do is repeat the same things over and over again, all that is waiting for you in the end is insanity.
And how would this work if everyone had this re-do button?
Haven't you learned from video games? Save-scumming ruins the experience.
I'm sitting here in my dark room at the age of 23 with a job that was handed to me a college dropout in my parents house half-listening while playing an RPG. I've never taken any serious choices in my life that wasn't just quitting because it was too hard, I never followed my passions seriously enough and always gave up when it became too much. I have no agency in my life and its dictated by the people around me because I've surrendered choice since I was 18. Then we got to part 3 of the video...and I found myself holding back my own tears, realizing that I would rather just exist then actually play apart in the world watching my friends and family advance in life while I twiddle my thumbs and try to do everything in my power not to think about the cage I put myself in, the thoughts I have about myself and living with it because of the things other people say. This is my first time seeing your channel and I think the message you give is the best message I've ever received. Thank you
There's still plenty of time. Don't overthink. You'll develop passion to stir changes in your life someday. No matter how bad it gets, other have it much worse and consider that life a paradise.
I'm happy the video was able to have such an impact, I hope it helps do something positive for you : ) But I agree with the other reply, I should have stressed patience and caution here more. There are opportunities which we will miss, but they will never run out in full. We always have a future we can start to choose, whenever, even if may be limited at times. I wish our world was kinder and allowed us more time, energy, and care to learn who we are and make good decisions. Unfortunately, we have to tackle it on our own. But don't let what the world wants dictate your success, let happiness, and to a degree, comfort decide that
@@BigGainer98 I think what you're saying is meant to be helpful, but in my opinion the message you're sending with it is quite toxic, like "Be reactive, and also, your problems don't matter much because others have it worse, what are you even whining about?" It's better to assume you're going to die tomorrow than to think you have all the time in the world, and even if other people have it much worse, I didn't choose to suffer from these certain things, it's not like I can just turn it off and go 180 from "man, my life sucks" to "this is fucking amazing, what am I even complaining about". All I can do is just accept how shitty everything about *my* life is and decide what to do from that point on without comparing to anyone else.
oh god this hit me so hard for the same reason
Turning 23 this year and in such a similar situation this comment was tough to read, but whole heartedly agree with what you took from the vid and the first reply, day by day we will push further!
The only thing more terrifying than determinism is free will. PS: Comfy and extremely well done vid, as always.
Ooof
Free will is nonsense. I don't see how the absence of the absurd could possibly be terrifying. Determinism is no more terrifying than any amount of randomness.
@@MrCmon113 Sneed's Feed & Seed (Formely Chuck's).
I had a teacher say this, "It is better to hate your job than your hobby. Once a hobby becomes your job, you will just grow to hate it too."
it can depend on why you are in a particular job, the reason you have for doing it and the expectations you came in to it with and whether you made that choice from necessity or as an option.
"You are trapped by the freedom to do anything in this life"
As a child, I grew up moving a lot, which already caused just a general disconnection towards everyone around me. I was never really popular with people, they didn't necessarily hate me but tended to stay away from me. I was always fascinated about everyone's simplicity. People had goals, strengths, things they wanted to achieve in life. I could never relate. If anyone asked me about my goals, I'd shrug it off. I have the luck of being seen as physically attractive, but it doesn't help really. People just can't put up with me once they realise how boring I really am as a person. I have no interests, nothing eventful worth talking about. And I always end up unintentionally hurting the few people who do make an effort to put up with me. I never understood the concept of morally right or wrong. I never saw the difference. I wouldn't consider myself depressed, or suicidal. I don't wish to die. It's just the lack of wanting to continue living. The pure utter boredom of life. Thanks for reading.
“the pure utter boredom of life.” that was profound, thank you.
If you limit yourself like that in life of course everything will be boring. Life is what you decide it is, your world view paints it with colour or drains it. To a degree it's choice and to a degree it's mindset and experience that paints it. You never got a chance to get attached to anything so now you avoid attachment to anything. Everything is boring because having to let the few good things you managed to make go, it sucks. Starting over all the time is tiring, there's no fun in getting to know people if you're not gonna get the chance to keep the connection.
Sonny Boy is a recent anime I watched that seems to relate to the pain of free will and the act of choosing, instead deciding to isolate yourself in a bubble of your own youth to not accept truths that are beyond tomorrow. This was a great video and honestly the kind of content I always feel super inspired by. Great job my guy and you've got a new sub
Sonny Boy is one of my favorites. I just used it for a recent video like this, or it would have been included here as well. Thank you for the kind words, and for sticking around!
There is no "free will". I feel anxious around important decisions, but I also do in face of other dangers or uncertainty. What the decision will be is as obscure to me as the private thoughts of others and I have the same control over it that I have over the movement of the planets. If you guys got over the belief in free will, you could make a dozen hard decisions each day.
@@MrCmon113 Thanks for letting know it was just a skill issue
I can relate to this too hard. There are so many things I could have been that I was good at growing up, and they have all borne ZERO fruit. I was good at basketball, and I loved it. Maybe I could have been great at it, or maybe not. I'll never know because I gave up after my mom decided to move because the other kids were "mean" to me. Ugh, what a loser mentality now that I look back on it. I also loved to practice the piano, and my teacher said I was good. Quit that in highschool because "pianos are lame, guitar is cooler and it's how you get chicks" and never even got around to learning a single song on the guitar. My dad taught me to box. I could have been great at that too I bet, but I had a bad relationship with him and didn't want to do anything he wanted me to do, which included boxing and football. Now at 27 years old and married, I went to college for years and just COULDN'T make a choice. I moved from California to Texas but didn't even choose that. My wife did, and I didn't mind because I was just happy to leave California I hated it there. Hell, I've even been putting off my idea to try starting a KZhead or Twitch gaming channel for years now. Eventually I reached a point where I had to choose a trade because we can't keep living with her parents on our current jobs, we want to move out and get our own place. I chose to pursue becoming a barber and, well, I'm glad that I ended up enjoying it cause I don't know what I would have done if I hated it. I just graduated school and now I'm looking for my first job. Still, I don't want this to be my job forever but I'm worried that my indecision will make that the case. Now I'm near my thirties and I want to pursue everything I gave up on as a kid but I don't know how to do it and it's scary. I don't know if I'll even have the time working 40 hours a week. The only major choice I make in my life now is to go to the gym 4 days a week and lift weights, which is so much fun. After I get my first job as a barber I want to try amateur boxing and maybe even pick up an instrument. I just hope I can get good at something that I love and maybe one day make some money from it, although I don't know if 27 is too old to be a boxer or not... Wow, that was a huge rant. I'm sorry?
It's too old to make significant money from boxing, but not to old to enjoy it.
Don't be sorry. If you manage your time as well as possible im sure you can have the time do endorse in your hobbies. Even 5 minutes a day, or 20 minutes a week is huge. Just consistency, which you can only teach yourself. Good luck tho, if youre still there, did you make any progress so far?
don’t be.
Not necessarily but generally correct @@MrCmon113
I’m 27. I dropped out of Lehman College in 2014. I hated the structure of the classes and had no passion for something offered there especially with all those BS general requirement classes. I drowned myself in anime and games and threw myself into the lives of the very same characters you mention. It made me love anime and gave lessons I never would have gotten otherwise having a somewhat absent father and I’m so grateful. I quit college and decided it wasn’t for me and k had to choose something I could live with. I did trade school, got certifications and did any job I could find. Mostly cleaning. But it worked out. Those qualifications and my interest in building things has les to my current position. I’m an assistant project manager for my construction company that does high end residential in NYC. Idk where this will take me. I know that the field has many opportunities and getting them lies on me. I have to learn all k can and apply it successfully. But I have to say I enjoy what I do and having seen construction as a kid the few times I did see my dad when he took me on his jobs, I feel like I can grow and I’m not constrained by what society wanted me to do. I’m glad I dropped out and explored not only myself but also my surroundings, relationships and people. We all have our own journey. Thank you for sharing yours and giving me hope that we will all end up where we are supposed to.
I’m turning 18 in 46 days and that ending part really grabbed me. I needed this. I needed to hear someone tell me to grab life by the balls. Thank you ProfessorViral.
I started college right after high school even though I knew it wouldn’t get me to what I want in life. I dropped out after less than a year from burnout and stress. Now I work a security job that stresses me out just as much. I know what I want in life, what will make me happy but I’ve been in this spiral of inaction. At some point I realized that this is life, I can start working towards these things. It won’t happen overnight but at least I’m not standing still.
I'm 24, I turn 25 in a little over a month. I'm still living with my parents, I dropped out of college, I don't know what I even want, and I'm terrified to look. I don't know what to do. This video cut pretty deep, it makes me want to change, want to properly start my life, but I don't even know where to start. But I think I need to start figuring it out. Thanks for the reality check, sometimes hearing someone else's story can put your own in perspective...
hope youre doing better nowadays buddy
Take your time with it. Things will work out as long as you keep making choices and decissions. Be that good or bad.
thank you for making this video. i’m 17 and i just started my first year of college. the day i graduated highschool, i think i cried more than i ever have, not only because there were many people who i wouldn’t see again, but because i would be thrust into a world i was never ready for. many of my friends know exactly what they want to do, they’re independent, and they’ll probably become very successful. but i just have no idea what i want out of life. even after i impulsively dropped my uni offer to study fashion design, i still don’t know if that’s what i want to do. i have supportive family and friends, so i can pursue whatever i want, but i’m scared of making my own decisions, especially because i don’t have much desire besides just doing nothing and living in my own bubble. honestly i’m terrified of the real world, i still feel too mentally young to be here haha, but watching your video and reading everyone’s comments has really helped. i’m starting to realize that in order to live without regrets, i’m going to have to start making those scary decisions. thank you!!
The decision of college is absolutely an unfair one. I was by no means developed enough to make a proper decision at that age, but it's something that will stick with me, in some way, forever. We're forced to pick the direction of our lives before we could even live, and it makes no sense. I wish I had an answer to that, but until we change our world, all we can do is choose, and tell ourselves that we did right, within reason
Eh, you can piss away three years and have still plenty of time. At that age it really doesn't matter what you do for a carreer. What matters is friends and relationships.
As a 22 year old, most people have no idea what they want from life when they visit college. My best advice is to make mistakes as that will help you learn and grow. And if you end up making a decision that’s not a mistake, then even better.
The last part at the end, I am going through the same thing right now. I regret not doing things when I was younger and because of this I am stuck in a situation not of my choosing. But the hope is, that i will have the oppotunity to make some major choices soon cause if I don't my life will only get worse. I needed this so much thank you. Also good luck on KZhead.
I didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did. Very good timing. Good editing ...good advice and it did help me a lot in the crappy spot I am now.Thank you really. I had a similar mistake in my life with choosing to study something I didn't like because I thought it was a good option....so it was relatable.
I feel the same, I blame society for lying to my parents and me. Now I’m picking up what I can do and try what I want
im so glad i came across this channel today, it came right when i needed it. i hope you continue your craft and stay true to yourself and i wanna thank you for what you do bc the world needs it
Thank you, those are very kind words : )
I learned this lesson at 18 after going to school in a far away town for a semester because I thought it would be the best, to do something I didn't care for. I stopped attending everything halfway through and quit when the semester was over. It was depressing but eye opening. I worked for myself and lived the life I wanted to live every day. Working towards goals that led to my dreams being reality and then my gf at the time got pregnant despite my careful judgment. After that i lost my job and couldn't find another one and since then my life has been drifting, choosing to not make decisions to not be in charge to not be at fault when my life falls to pieces. I'm now 22 with an almost 2 year old, and everything is falling apart because I have chosen to not make decisions I should have while keeping people around me that have no business being in my life in the first place, let alone having so much control over it.
My life has been stagnant since I was 19 (now 22), I’ve been gripping with my indecision as I am now in my 2nd year of college an will have to stay another 2yrs if I wish to get my major… I don’t know If I wish to continue as everytime I begin to think Overloading myself with all the possible bad routes that MIGHT happen. Eventually leading to selfdoubt, overthinking everything, wanting to purse more then one path yet too afraid to commit to 1……it’s safe to say I hate my life as I feel it’s slipping thru my fingers day in day out
I deeply relate to this video. As a kid I was always drifting from one fucked up situation to another. Not having a parent or guardian long enough to really know what it meant to. By the time I was adopted I was just coming out of a five year drug induced fog that the government mandated. For the next ten years until I was 21 I barely committed to anything I didn't find fun. Never believing I had a future, I never gave myself one. So I just tried random jobs. Weldimg was the one I loved best, but it was unstable, I had no way of my own to get to work, so I spent a 3rd of my paycheck just for a commute. When my girlfriend at the time broke up with me, in part due to the stagnation in the very core of my soul; I lost my will to continue on. Three weeks later I lost my job. That was all I had left. For 8 months 6 days of my week every week was that job, it was pulled out from under me. No savings, no plans, stuck with my parents, no car or license, feeling increasingly stuck and useless, I did the thing I never wanted to do. I joined the military. It went against everything I believed in. But it made my family proud. Not long after bootcamp I developed a drinking problem, and had a bit of a breakdown. I tried to be a concientious objector because it was being in the military that was messing with my head. I wasn't religious enough to qualify. So for the next half year I worked but refused to touch weapons, taking the work nobody else wanted while they figured out what to do with me. Eventually I had an emotional breakdown on shift and the seperated me for convienience. Then I was back where I started, with my parents, no plan. I eventually managed to move out and get sorted while ruining every relationship with family and friends. I became the kind of person I hated most. Now I am trying to redeem myself, but I know I can never redeem myself to anyone I hurt. So now I just need to make sure I am never that person again. What that means, only time will tell. Thank you for the video.
If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice.
I'm not sure how serious this is, but I always hated this quote honestly. I think we need to look at it on a scale. Did I technically chose not to chose? Yes. But I let someone else pick one thing for me, rather than looking at multiple possibilities. It's the smallest choice, if it is one
@@ProfessorViral Im not attempting to argue or invalidate anything you talked about in your video. Im not sure you could even really be objectively right or wrong on this particular topic. The way I always interpret this quote is on the basis that our choices define our character. While I agree that choosing inaction is usually the least desirable option, its still an option no matter the situation. Wether it be your buddy asking you what you want to eat or the infamous trolly dilemma. The ability to relinquish your agency in order to avoid responsibility remains ever present. You are totally justified in not liking the idea this quote implies. The concepts of sentience and free will are exciting to think about, specifically when very difficult and morally ambiguous decisions are involved.
What we resist persists. Following the paths others determine is indeed a path with less pain by avoiding the hurt of choosing. But it’s the same as PTSD: avoidance just makes things worse.
Hi, my name is Dre and I'm heading to Uni in less than a week now, I'm really glad I found your video and I cried a few times through it. I've always been told I should be a doctor or a scientist something high paying since I have always been able to work hard, harder than most, and achieve good grades. But I never wanted any of it and all my life I have just liked to draw, paint to make pictures that allow others to smile or experience some sort of emotion and even though I do not think myself to be that good at it yet, especially the portraying emotions in my work part. I have managed to get into this small arts program in french where I will study for the next few years in hopes of one day becoming an art teacher. You see my art teacher always helped me, I would stay after class cleaning up after others, I would help out and really give it my all till now achieve good grades in the class or much. But despite her super harsh grading and strict attitude, she helped me. It was in my last year of high school when I decided I needed to do something with art or I simply wouldn't be able to live a life I would be proud of. When she told me I should be an art teacher, I had thought of it before and was considering it but I was never sure. I always struggled with decisions. That is to say your video really helped me. I'm glad I am able to make friends and pursue the life I want even if it means struggling. I just want you to know I appreciate your video as when I was little and still now, I struggled with decisions I often put others before myself and followed my parents every whim but now I would like to be able to make my own picture.
In the end, all we have is the choices we make for ourselves. The path of an artist in our unideal world is usually more painful than most, but as someone who pursued science without a true care for it, I've found it to be painful anyway. So, I can't say it will be comfortable, as you already know. But living on your own terms, as what you believe yourself to be, is a beautiful thing. I hope your experience is one you'll cherish : )
As a doctor who mourns music having to be my hobby now instead of a job, this post was ooof. I’m glad you seem to have avoided a mistake I made and often counsel others against: pursuing the path others recommend rather than the one we are drawn to.
@@JamesDecker7 It is very reassuring to know that a person as experienced as yourself wishes that your hobby had been your job. I am 25 years old with a job that I am not at all interested in and I am trying each day to shift to the field that I am really interested in. My spontaneity was damaged a lot when my parents didn't allow me to choose what I wanted to do at the age of 18. That event has affected my whole life since then. I was never happy. I regret that event a lot and I have a lot of anger towards my parents. But I know that anger is futile. All I can do is try really hard to achieve what I really want. I simply cannot live like I am living now.
The hot air of progression met the cold air of stagnation... Incredible video.
Thank you 💙
Last part was way to real. I am 27 now, and havent figured out what i want to do. Well, technicly i want to become a writer, but this dream seems so far away that i started to proceed an career i dont care about, just so that i have a reliable plan b and source of income, because i was numb and lazy in 20s and did basically nothing.
I feel that. I keep clinging to my plan b, the career I don't care for. I can't say it's a bad idea, at the end of the day, stability is the most important thing, and it's hard to chase a dream with having stability from somewhere else. But it's exhausting to do both at once. The awful reality of our world is that the happiness of a creative comes with a lot of risk. Our world doesn't value such things enough to support them broadly. I have no answer. It will always come down to the individual, and knowing themself well and true, which is hard in itself. The most I can say is to do whatever you do with vigor. We can doubt every path, and think we made the wrong decision, whatever we do. That doubt will tear us apart
Either spend your whole life finding the perfect formula for the traveling salesman problem or love the suboptimal outcomes that are created from our "choices" and learn to live with the consequences of those choices. With free will, you're able to change your preexisting conditions that limited our choices to begin with. If you give up the notion that you can choose your preexisting conditions, you're free to be whomever you want to be given the circumstances.
Or sit back, let others make the decisions, and blame them for making suboptimal decisions; the easy life of the average Joe!
You can travel back into the past? Even if that was the case, free will would still be nonsense. And quite plainky absent from experience.
The virgin “no free will” vs the chad overwhelmingly strong human spirit
You're still here, so apparently you weren't overwhelmed. Free will is nonsense. Decisions appear in consciousness like anything else. They aren't generated by consciousness. Whatever is aware of a thoughts, an inner dialogue, doesn't produce it. Hard decisions matter, but you aren't making them. Unconscious processes in your brain do.
I'm crying right now, this speaks directly to the crisis I have and utter innability to act on my passions, I'm on the same road in life you mention and actually want to hug you. Always been too inmature to be where I'm supposed to be, I want to take action, but don't know how. I really hope you feel satisfied with what you're working towards and that you can use that pain as drive.
If I was able to, I'd gladly accept a hug, for us both : ) I wish our world was more ideal, so we didn't have to feel so overwhelmed by the decisions were forced to make. I wish we could take our time to learn ourselves first. It's important to remember not to blame yourself too much in all of this, the world is simply harsh at times. But I hope this all is able to lead you somewhere positive as well : )
This video is relatable, im 25 and I spent the last three years in depression preventing me from making choices. I am now taking things into my own hand and I am trying to be better than who I was from the day before. Making a choice is a lot better than not making any and feeling stagnant. Now I feel like a river that is constantly moving and it feels great. I still feel behind from time to time but I know that this feeling is temporary and I will eventually be at the place I should be at. Thanks for this video, it compresses all the things I was feeling at that place in time and I am starting to be able to move on from it.
I know I am just a stranger on the internet, but I wanted to say I am so proud of you. Your channel is amazing and I'm honestly so glad I stumbled upon it. I didn't realize until I finished the video how this was just uploaded, so I hope with a small sea of comments you'll see mine. I am about to hit a choice juncture in my life, graduating from college that I didn't want to attend at first. But I'm glad I did, I found a life path that I find some joy in and wouldn't have without. I feel a bit more comfort in the end of this chapter of my life having watched your video. I hope you keep creating because I can't wait to keep watching.
I'm glad you were able to find a path of value from that decision, it seems that's the game of life. Thank you for the kind words and your time, and don't worry, I'll keep going : )
That last part was indistinguishable from the thoughts and feelings I have every day. I am 30 too. After watching this video I feel like maybe I should make the choice to like….exist again. It is helpful to see how our life can become as a result of avoiding or rejecting choice. Mostly I just want to say that I appreciate the raw emotion and realness in the way you talk about pain though. Thanks for making this vid.
Sometimes knowing what you don't want is the first step. I'm horrible at making decisions for myself and I have a hard time understanding what I actually want. However, I generally know/understand when I'm uncomfortable with something. So that's how I make decisions. I know what I don't want, and so what I want must be in the other direction. One step at a time. You don't have to figure it out all at once.
You're absolutely right about taking on a bit of suffering now.. Went to college feeling like I was wasting time and money of my family. Decided to enlist for my self, and family. I love the job, however it doesn't pay me enough to be frank. Now I'm deciding to get out because you have to give up a bit of freedoms to earn some freedoms. Any longer I'm sure I will definitely get the money I seek. However.. I will become a type of leader that they will mould me to be.. rather than the leader I want to be. To suffer with your members is a philosophy I hold dear, rather than perpetuating a system.
This. Hurts. With how true it speaks to me. Thank you. This. Is incredibly touching. Thank you.
KZhead has been sending me down a rabbit hole of different videos doing character studies about choice and oppression and etc. I have never written down my thoughts or feelings about my life anywhere and to who ever is reading this, you are one of the first to hear me. Since I was born my parents have been religious, at first my parents believed in different religions, but as I got older my dad stopped being catholic and joined my mom in her "religion". They always told me that if me, my sister, or them had left the "truth" that we would have to cut them out of our life until they "saw the error of their ways" and came back. I didn't stop believing in what they believed until I was 12-13 years old. Ever since then I have been getting more and more angry. But around the same time I stopped wanting to be religious, I had found youtube. I wasn't ever allowed to use it really so I had to sneek it in every night. For years I told people that I wanted to fly planes because of a stupid misunderstanding my teacher had in kindergarten, but this was when I found what I wanted to do! Not specifically youtube, but to entertain, to make people laugh and cry and to just feel emotions! I am 19 now, I have changed between 4 different jobs in less then a year because I am not happy with either. I told my dad that I never wanted to work in the same company as him but he kept pushing for me to do so and now I am working with him and I hate it even though the pay is amazing and the hours are to, I hate it. It wasn't my decision! I haven't told any one that I want to be in the entertainment industry weather that's with music or voice acting or being an auther, I haven't told a single soul! I am so close to breaking and I know if I told them this it would be "against "my" religion" and I will be kicked out and more then likely become homeless because my only friends and family that I keep in contact with are in the same "religion" and will have no where to go! But... I don't care any more, I really don't! I would rather take a life of living on the streets and barely surviving each day then being stuck where I am! And yet, I can't bite the bullet! I can't bring myself to do it. I keep watching these videos hoping for a magic answer even though I know there isn't one but I DON'T CARE!! I can't get out of this cycle and I might never get out of it but its that hope that one day, I will break it! I wish some one could just tell me exactly what to do to make it not hurt, or at least make it sting just a tiny bit but there is none. I wish I could say literally every thing on my mind but its almost impossible to express it all in text. And I can't talk to any one about this over a call because I don't want them evesdropping. To the person that made it this far, thank you, this is the closest I have gotten to freedom and its all because you read this all! Thank you THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO SO MUCH! I wish I could just give you a hug but I am just text on your computer screen. please stay safe out there
Thank you for sharing, it means a lot. I'm glad I could read your story : ) The most I can say to help is make a careful decision. I should have stressed more in this video that change takes time. It's a harsh truth of the world that we need money for stability. It might take a few years, but opportunity is never truly gone, even if we have to wait for it. I can't say I know what's best for you, but consider all the options, and know that a few years of careful planning now can make all the difference for the rest of your life, more than a snap decision. But I hope whatever path you end up taking, it will lead you to somewhere fulfilling. It's a lot of work to entertain, in a world which often only values entertainment only on the dollar. But if you do what you can when you have the time and stability and stick to a careful plan, you can work towards something great, even if success isn't granted. Whatever advantages you have, use them to their fullest, and have no shame about it
@@ProfessorViral thanks! :)
I'm 21 years old, and I have no idea what I'm doing. I did a course in high school that i didn't care about and went to college. I dropped out and tried again 3 times just to drop out every single time no matter what I told myself just because it felt like the right thing to do was to go to college like everyone else. I'm still living in my parents house, working at the closest mcdonalds, 30h a week, and I'm so uninterested in my life that I don't care about doing a shit job, and I do nothing with the free time I have : I don't think about what I can do next, I'm not planning anything past the end of the month. I have lost interest in my passions a long time ago and I cannot find other passions as I don't give time to myself. I'm boring and uninteresting as a person, but people stick to me because I'm "easy to talk to" apparently and I'm friendly to everyone. This video hit hard as I never really took a real decision for myself and I'm just "going with the flow" to be honest. I really hope I can change and move out and have my own appartment and a job that I like. For now, I'm surrounded by many friends and I even have a girlfriend, it's been 5 years. But I think one day, sooner than later, I'll end up alone as I am not evolving at all while everyone is slowly pushing themselves towards their goals and dreams and objectives. I don't think I'm gonna make it past my 20s. But I couldn't care less. Thank you for this video. It made me realise that I have made mistakes, and I am sure I can fix them, with enough work and time. I'll think about it tomorrow.
I just stumbled upon your channel and I'm glad I did. Please continue to make vids to your hearts content.
I can’t nearly express how thankful I am to have watched this. This most likely saved my life. I feel like seriously taking control of my life now. Seriously, thank you
This was such a well made and thought out video. The inclusion of your story really helps tie all the themes talked about back to life and the “normal” that so many people have tied their lives to. Which lead to a sad yet ultimately beautiful conclusion.
I stumbled upon this video thinking it was going to be an analysis on one of my favorite anime of all time (Death Parade), but it was more than that. You have put into words what I’ve been feeling for almost 6 years and it has put me at a point where I want to choose rather than suffer even longer than I already have. I want my path to be my own choice and not drift with whatever comes because it has already made me miserable. Thank you for describing your experience to help others, like myself. 🧡
I feel you, I'm on the same page. I hope you can get the life you want
Thank you for sharing all of that at the end of the video, it was beautiful & sad & so refreshing to see another dude who isn't scared to emote in such an articulate way. I wasted my 20's too dude, but we are doing it! look at us now.
Wow, your videos have such a high quality and the writing is beautiful. I'm just a 17 years old undecided in every thing that can't make decisions by himself and needs someone else to validate or to make each decision. The last part of the video about yourself was really heart warming and in some parts really relatable, thank you for sharing your experiences, your content is amazing and motivating. It is really deep, the concept of using animes as examples for philosophical ideas is really interesting since it shows new interpretations and helps a certain audience to connect with the content. Thank you for these videos!
I genuinely hink you make some of the best videos out their
Your videos are really powerful and are hard for my too watch because they provide insight but also hit close to home and at the same time explore essential human experience we all share Thank you for you video and the effort you but in them❤🎉
I'll become one of your many patrons because of this video. Those who have the balls to take back their life deserve to be rewarded. Fortune favors the bold. Keep going, you got this, Professor!
I'm on the edge of my existence, struggling from same experience. Glad to see, that someone discuss about this topic, many thoughts that i have are in here.
Ouch.... this video tore me up at work... i think things need to change. Thank you
I know it's been a year since this video came out, but your personal story was so riveting. I deeply relate, though I'm only 20, I went through culinary school because others told me it would do me good, and it almost broke me, hell it took nearly a year to undo all the damage it put me through, I'm only 20, but every love interest I've ever had was me just going with the flow of someone else, I have things I'm legitimately pursuing, but the debt and years wasted will always be there, I'll finally get to start living the life i want to by my late 20s, but I'll be living it on my own terms. I hope you have a good day.
Thanks for your eloquent honesty. I haven't watched enough of your videos but I appreciate them deeply. If you made more easy to digest content you could be much more successful on KZhead but I thank you for the depth you go to. I'm right now stuck in a valley where a difficult future lies ahead, one of my own choosing yet I can't bring myself to climb out the valley. I am both scared of the path I have chosen however cannot seem to let it go either. Try as I might, I cannot seem to let it go, I have discovered my purpose off the beaten path, and it's not an easy path whatsoever, so I am overwhelmed by it. Part of me knows I WANT to give up but I just simply seem to can't. My own thoughts mirror your own words and feelings, I do hope to see you more as we both lay down a new path for the world to enjoy walking down in the future
Thank you so much for this man
Thank you. Not a lot of people have been through that, and can't relate when you try to explain the situation. All you can do is take care of yourself. And when you see someone going through what you went through, listen, and let them know it will get better. The thoughts will always creep in. But that's a life long battle, and overtime you'll get better at dealing with them, and eventually overcome them. Just need a good crew around you. And always remember that family isn't just blood.
Thank you, listening to your video has truly been uplifting and enlightening. Keepbon keeping on making whatever you'd like. The world is only moved by those who push and decide. And if you don't make decisions then someone else will, that could be worse than what could've happened had you yourself chosen.
This was a great video. Part of life really is about taking accountability for the consequences of your actions and making choices. Good job bro keep it up
I know this is a year late but i feel the same i to had a moment similar to you where i was in my car screaming letting it all out(my car seems to be the only place thats truly my own). Dear god was it painful. Still is. Keep moving man your videos are a form if kindness this world seriously lacks and an understanding of our nature as people.
Loved this video. Appreciate your sharing your personal conflicts. Hope you're doing ok and well.
Your channel is very inspirational. Keep going man ! I love your content
This was incredible and the anime choices were perfect. Your narration hit home so closely that it could have been an entry out of my journal. I really needed this today. Instant sub!! ♡♡♡
You just put into words what I never could. This video hit so hard for me at just the right time. Thank you.
No problem, thank you for your time : )
Thank you. Experiencing this now as I'm navigating how to move forward and choosing my life.
Needed this vid in my life. The end hit close to home.
Incredible shirt my guy 🤙❤ and great video. I love listening to your videos at work
I think… I think I really really needed this video. Thank you, this really is the kind of thing that will stick with me forever
Your inspirational thank you for your videos. They always come with great depth and insight.
Thank you for the kind words, I'm glad the videos can help!
i feel this video is one everyone should watch, as a 16 year old at this point fearing my choices for the future, Thank You, Viral
thank you, i really needed to hear this, i'll hear it one more time actually
This was brilliant! I could give a long winded response on how much I enjoyed the video and how impactful I found it, but ultimately all I would be saying In many words would be thank you. Your essays help me make sense of the noise in my head and give me new ways or remind me of ways I had decided to start looking at life. You are doing fantastic work. I am rooting for you
Thank you, I very much appreciate that : D
i have never heard something as honest as this, you inspired me a lot. from the bottom of my heart, thank you :)
It's no problem, thank you for your time and kind words : )
Thank you so much... I tear up while listening to you bcz... I feel related. Is like there's a soul out there not just willing to endure, understand, transform, ammend his will power and move forward; but also understands the value of his journey and can see in the world that there is people alike as human that needs to hear not just the lesson you experienced but also the encouragement that perhaps you wished to have during those times. I hope that this reaches to more people that need this message and that you never stop learning more and owning your fate for whatever that might be associated with. Thank you so much.
I've been in a slump since the end of 2020. I quit my job in july, the girl I was messing around with got a boyfriend, got a new job that I don't enjoy (I enjoy it a bit more 3 years later but still not very great), I haven't felt passion or genuine pure emotion in almost 3 years. It a culmination of a lot more than what I listed but I essentially put myself on cruise control. I know I want a new job but I'm terrified to start something new and potentially not like it, that sentiment extends to hobbies and interests and passions, god forbid I try something and don't have fun. As if I've had fun the past couple years. BUT one day, from seemingly thin air, I was smacked with an overwhelming desire to draw. It came out of nowhere and I don't really plan on improving to the point to make a career, but for the first time in years I really really wanted to do something. I hope to hold on to this feeling.
thank you for this video.
Thank you, you have put into words what I have been trying to figure out. Thanks again.
Of course, very glad I could
Holy shit. This video hit so hard and you summed it up so well. I can’t really put it into words but thank you
This reminds me of my early teen years. I was highly religious, and I was terrified I would make a single bad decision (like being sarcastic/rude to my sister) and that before I could ask God for forgiveness the rapture would happen, and I'd be left on earth while my family was in heaven. One small mistake and then I would "deserve" literal torture. I would break down in my room often, absolutely sobbing and praying that God would take away my free will, that I would be nothing but filled with him. That obviously didn't happen, but I feel that i became what my parents wanted me to be, what the religion wanted me to be. I wasn't myself, and I was terrified to make choices. I'm still trying to find myself years later. I'm trying to make decisions, even if they're stupid, because at least I'm being myself instead of a robot. This video talks about very important things, good job on writing it so well.
This is why the rapture is a dangerous idea or silly in hindsight
As a trans person this video hits a different kind of good. I think this is something every trans-person grapples with when they start their transition since it's all built on breaking that wall of indecision. In this video and especially the last part I think you've summarized the feeling of knowing both that your past and your future was not your own unless you start deciding to act on your own desires. The harsh reality of having to make it work double to make up for inactions of the past.
im still young, i still have a future but it stresses me put immensely that if my grades start to drop i cant go to my vocational school and i might not get the job i really want by the time i graduate highschool. i have two and a half years left, ive worked on myself a lot this past year and im so scared thar i havent done enpugh and when the moment comes where everything matters, i wont be enough. ill flunk out of skills and never make it past regionals. im so scared of failure. ive never taken anything seriously and now i want to, but i just end up acting lazy.
I can relate so much to your struggle. I’m 32 and finally decided to try for a job in writing after spending 12-14 years in food/bev. I have anxiety and adhd, so I was constantly discriminated against, especially during my time at Starbucks. I spent 6 years of my life wanting to make that company better, but because I did nothing and just complied, I hated everything. At the end of 2020, I finished my education and left on Thanksgiving with no definites of an opportunity, but the biggest piece of mind I’d had in years… This video got me to subscribe so just…..yeah I look forward to watching more of your videos.
I only just found you channel and have only seen 3 videos thus far however, as someone who loves to write and values the weight of words, you sir are by far one of the best. Thank you, truly for your amazing content
Thank you for such a kind comment, I really appreciate that : )
This is gold! Your not alone..thank you homie! The algorithm has picked up this video.. so you are gonna make it man!!!
Thank you. I'm always happy to have what I do now, but I hope you're right as well!
Wow, this was inspiring man. Keep it up. The ending really resonated.
Double upload!! Very excited to watch after seeing the animes listed in the spoiler section.
Sorry, the list going up also was a mistake 😭
Your experience sounds so much like my own that it's upsetting to hear it, but it also gives me some hope that I can change too.
Great video!!
Hey Viral, I'm a new subscriber but I really dig a lot of the things you make. I want to commend you for expressing yourself in the raw way that you did at the end of this video. I also want to share that I am 33 years old, and this year I moved back in with my parents who live about an hour and a half away from my home city and friends, and I am *just* getting my life together in a big way. The reason for moving in with my parents is because I want to pay off a lot of my debts and save money to buy my own home. I have been going through a big personal journey of self-confidence and self-action for the past few years and my growth has been tremendous. Not gonna lie, I have had the help of therapy, medication, and new spiritual practice (Buddhism), but it has been a great journey. The reason I am saying this is because I think you don't need to feel to hard on yourself for coming to these decisions and motivations at 30 years old. It is *NEVER* too late to grow and do things for *yourself*. In fact, I guarantee there are millions of people who live their entire lives without gaining the confidence and motivation to do what you are doing. I am very happy to hear that you are on this journey and I want to tell you that it's one of the most rewarding journeys of all time. It will have its ups and downs, but personal satisfaction and wellbeing, especially in regards to confidence and self-actualization, is worth it. Keep at it, brother.
After a year going back and forth about quitting my corporate job so I can FINALLY pursue my modest art vendor dream; this video helped me reach that decision. After this winter holiday season I'll quit and give my only dream a shot. I'm sorry you went through life with the fear of deciding your life direction. I look forward to you taking back your life on your terms : )
Thank you for this video, I'm a 21 years old guy that just started working last month or so... I was always following other people too, just wanted to get by, to just exist and such. And honestly it just hurts but I really don't know how to really move forward sometimes.. I'm not saying that I'll change a lot, but you did open my eyes a little, really thanks.
I wish I had some idea of what the path forward was. I've started to live with my decision, but I still hate making them. All we can do is what you've already said, open our eyes a little, so we'll be able to see change when we can take it
Having to make a choice is terrifying. But having no choice is much more horrible. If we didn't have free will then all of our accomplishments would be meaningless. What we achieved wouldn't be due to our efforts, our ambitions and our struggles. It would just be the hand of destiny choosing for you. Same with your mistakes, you were doomed to make them. We couldn't be proud of our achievements nor regret our mistakes. For victory and defeat aren't ours to celebrate or to mourn. We aren't responsible for what we aren't in control of.
I think that's part of why I believe, and want to believe, in free will. Life itself is already just nature playing a game of existence, and we're bound to that like anything else. But within that, we get to succeed and fail, to make an impact which is uniquely ours. That's the only reprieve we get from the harsh nature around us, and I'll take it for what it is
Having no choice is really the best and most freeing thing. Opens the door to forgiveness and happiness. It's really not that hard to agree with. You literally can't choice anything when you eat, get hurt, become sick, parents, local or even death. It's right in your face. Free will is a social construct that we pretend exists.
@@techpriestalex8730 I would argue that free will is real and we do have choices. You can disagree with me, but if I am wrong, then the reason you believe what you believe is because you were programmed to. You believe lack of choice leads to happiness and forgiveness because you literally can't believe in anything else. And how can we condemn horrible criminals if they weren't in control over their own actions? The victim and the criminal were both destined to suffer and to inflict suffering. Reality would just be a bad joke.
Thank you for this video! I struggle with making decioins and often do nothing until somebody else decides for me. I`m sadly a people pleaser and only now after 19 years starting to unlearn my habbits that life taught me. People in class once discussed that a human who has not an own will doesn´t exsist and I felt weirdly overlooked because I lived most of my life not really knowing that I even have such a will or I should have. By now I´ve already made many pointless decisions to please others such as going to school for 13 years instead of 10, because everyone told me it would be best. I never wanted it and by doing this, because I was unable to choose the way I want, or still not even knowing the way, I was suffering in school every day. It´s gotten to a crucial point but since only 2 months are left to end this I´ll do it. To all the people who are afraid to go their own way, Because when you fail everyone will say they told you: Do it nontheless. It´s your life. Fill it with things you like and not what others want from you. Everyone fails somewhere. Accept that this is how life is.
The last chapter of this video was really motivating thank you 🙏
No problem, thank you for your time : )
@@ProfessorViral wow you actually responded cool hope your having a nice night or day
Wonderful video! Keep up the good work. You speak for all of us in Part 3 about college and work (I am a student as well). Your roadside experience must have been painful, but it's also wonderful that you had a formative and powerful moment of realization. Many people go through most of their lives without realizing until its too late. Even if you feel like you are a late bloomer or behind in life, you are still actually quite young still. Many people study their way through college without feeling like they have lived a real college experience. Or even worse, they keep trying to get that "golden college experience" (Tatami Galaxy reference hehe). Anayways, pursue what you love, and embrace change. If you realize one day that you dont like making these videos anymore and it stresses you out too much, that is OK too! The most important thing is that you value your mental state and happiness above all (even the opinions of yourself and others). Nothing is worth the kind of stress you described. None of this is advice or anything because I am not qualified and probably have no more life experience than anyone here, but I thought I would share my warm thoughts in the hope that thy can help people break out of negative thoughts! Wishing you all the best :)
Durarara, what is my favorite anime and I always get shock whenever easier to get mentioned at all ever because it’s not very popular anymore
Thank you for this video, i am 19 and i am on a turn of my life where i’ve just realise that i don’t know a thing off me, of what i like and my futur in general and you made me realise that i need to search for somethings i need to love and cherish :)
Don't worry too much; truly knowing so young when were thrust into the world is impossible. But considering those things is what's really important, where I messed up was doing something I knew was wrong for me. I'm glad this could help hopefully keep away something like that for others
wow good job!! You can be proud of making such progress! It's never too late to make a change 👏👏👏💕
its easy to exist its hard to live its miserable to exist but its amazing to live i know you made the existing only to exist video,but this is the 2nd video i watched from you(this one and cyberpunk) i can see what you are saying and you are right i hope we see more of you