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You have no free will at all | Stanford professor Robert Sapolsky
How your biology and environment make your decisions for you, according to Dr. Robert Sapolsky.
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Robert Sapolsky, PhD is an author, researcher, and professor of biology, neurology, and neurosurgery at Stanford University. In this interview with Big Think’s Editor-in-Chief, Robert Chapman Smith, Sapolsky discusses the content of his most recent book, “Determined: The Science of Life Without Free Will.”
Being held as a child, growing up in a collectivist culture, or experiencing any sort of brain trauma - among hundreds of other things - can shape your internal biases and ultimately influence the decisions you make. This, explains Sapolsky, means that free will is not - and never has been - real. Even physiological factors like hunger can discreetly influence decision making, as discovered in a study that found judges were more likely to grant parole after they had eaten.
This insight is key for interpreting human behavior, helping not only scientists but those who aim to evolve education systems, mental health research, and even policy making.
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About Robert Sapolsky:
Robert M. Sapolsky holds degrees from Harvard and Rockefeller Universities and is currently a Professor of Biology and Neurology at Stanford University and a Research Associate with the Institute of Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya. His books include New York Times bestseller, Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst and Determined.
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Komentáře

  • @axlemartin7705
    @axlemartin7705 Před 7 vteřinami

    Pretty much just a joke and a con . But thats every o e thats made up everyday . I need to start one so i can get tax exception and have a free way of cash flow . Les we all follow the word of dragonball z 🎉

  • @LancePowellForged
    @LancePowellForged Před 3 minutami

    I have freewill. I exercise it daily. How do I define it? Freewill- an entity able to move from moment to moment, with choice and no prior pre conditioning, or conditioning. Determinism: a pattern (think Meyers Briggs). When I hear someone say "no free will," they are making a logical conclusion, and have not had the experience. Simply put, they've read books on fire being hot, but they have not touched it to know. Every time I see Robert talk about this, I'm reminded he has no clue what he's talking about because he's a scientist: Science is a 3rd person experience, creating preditions off observed patterns. YOU are a 1st person experience. This is the real of spirituality and deep introspection and self observation. Robert, you're absolutely wrong.

  • @Willard_and_Wee-un
    @Willard_and_Wee-un Před 8 minutami

    I was thinking how Chomsky revolutionized liguistics in the 50s by claiming language is because of structures, or algorithms in the brain. What if all of society is the way it is because brains are the way they are? In the history of brains there are parts that have been around forever. These parts must be really good at things. Then there are parts of brains that appear to be fairly new, in humans at least. If I connect these two thoughts it seems quite clear that the new parts of brains fucking hate the old parts.

  • @Jay-gf8tm
    @Jay-gf8tm Před 14 minutami

    Hidden figures lmaoo

  • @max0x7ba
    @max0x7ba Před 16 minutami

    You are trying too hard with the music and are overdoing it.

  • @cubestur8157
    @cubestur8157 Před 20 minutami

    Those who know do not say, and Those who say do not know . . . truths nnown sincee waaay ancient times . . . pick up on it, Bob.

  • @h.l.malazan5782
    @h.l.malazan5782 Před 29 minutami

    It is sociopathic to hide behind circular logic. You cannot separate an ideology out of the historical context it hailed from and expect it to work, and yes, you are hailing from an ideology, some form of rugged individualism.

  • @kleckerklotz9620
    @kleckerklotz9620 Před 31 minutou

    19:16 "Everytime you're making a decission about why someone just did something, including yourself, stop and question it and think about it a second time and fifth time and tenth time and as part of that decission because you can't imagine what the world is like for that person is part of that decission, because their face doesn't register with yours as much as in uses face does there. Just be sceptical and think again and again and especially when you're tired and wanna make a fast attribution." I wanna hug this man so much.

  • @saints5056
    @saints5056 Před 32 minutami

    If anxiety had a face, it's Jesse Eisenberg. He always looks on edge. This video confirmed it.

  • @krishp1104
    @krishp1104 Před 33 minutami

    if you have a negativity bias just think good it's ez

  • @b.l.a.c.k-shiva
    @b.l.a.c.k-shiva Před 34 minutami

    Conversely, how many ppl are really out here making the world a better place? When's the last time you have shut down frivolous rumors being spread behind someone's back UNDER ANY pretense (hey that's not professional, hey that's my friend, hey that's not true, hey that's not nice)? Everyone steps out of haters' way and gives them the right of way. The answer regular evil-condoning people is that the victims just ignore it and stay positive. Well I say no. Everyone who hears the start of a 'smear campaign,'' ie gossip against a good person, needs to take up the responsibility to do something about it. Amen. The world is in a downward spiral and will not be improved with everyone condoning the attacks made against good people. Peace and Health

  • @seamusoconnor1566
    @seamusoconnor1566 Před 35 minutami

    Are the calulations even near right thats why its speculation

  • @mrcdad
    @mrcdad Před 36 minutami

    Bollocks

  • @aliamohamed-xt1pw
    @aliamohamed-xt1pw Před 36 minutami

    00 I am your sister from Yemen. By God, I only spoke out of hunger and distress. My mother, my sisters, and I have been displaced from our homes because of the war. We are in a state that no one knows about Oh God, God is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs for those who have brought us to this situation 💔💔 I swear to God that I did not write this appeal out of distress and poverty, O world Please feel for us. By God Almighty, Lord of the Magnificent Throne, he is the only one who eats what I have at home. By God, my brothers, they are sitting on my mind And there is no food. By God, our situation is very difficult. We are 6 people.He entered the house. My father died, and there is no one to support us. We live in a rented house, so we cannot pay the remaining rent. ''''''' '''''''''''''''''''''' '''''''''''' '''''''' ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' For me, my brother, my first words are: By God and the Book of God, I will not lie to you and I will not lie to you. I do not deceive you and I will not deceive you. I am a Yemeni girl displaced from the war. My family and I are among us. It was 15 thousand Yemenis per month, and now we have 45 thousand due over 3 months, and the owner of the house is not merciful. By God, my brother, he comes every day and insults us and talks about us and wants us to move from the house to the street because we could not pay him rent. The neighbors saw us crying and came back to talk to them and gave us the weekend. We swore to God. This brings us to the street. Be merciful. And we. Our country because of this warI cannot find food for the day and I am living. My sisters and I are young. Our father has passed away, may God have mercy on him, and we have no one in this world beside us in these harsh circumstances. My younger brothers go out to the street and see the neighbors eating and stand at their door to give them bread even if they break it. By God, who has the kingdom of the heavens and the earth, the universe, they closed the door and kicked them out and they came back crying. They died of it. No one will have mercy on everyone and give them a refund. You would have made a living, and now blame someone for helping us with a kilo of flour. I swear to God, I am dying of hunger. My brother, I am an alien to God. Then you need help for the sake of God. I implore you, by God, you love goodness and will help me. WhatsApp me on this number 00967779509554 and ask for the name of my card and send it and do not be late and I will compensate you. God is good. He helped us and saved us before they expelled us on the street. We became weak or starved of hunger. My family and I are blessed by God. If you are able to help, do not be late for us.May God reward you well,.,.,:^:;^:🎉°~°~^~°^π√^π√~π~√~√~π^~^~π~π~√√~~ππ~ π√~~^^°^°€€€€€€€€€........🎉..🎉.🎉.🎉.First, I say to those who say that I am a fraud, my brother. Have you contacted me and found out my condition? My brother, first, contact me on WhatsApp and verify my condition.v.v.v.v.g..g.g.g.g......🎉🎉.....g.g.g.g..g.g.g.g.............f.

  • @huntertony56
    @huntertony56 Před 36 minutami

    Determinism isn't true either.

  • @Thingsyourollup
    @Thingsyourollup Před 37 minutami

    Kardachev scale is a BS way to measure a civilization, especially hypothetical extra terrestrial civilizations that may or may not exist at this point in spacetime. Then Michio Kaku tries to say humanity will become a type 1 within 100 years, completely ignoring the fact that our population is about to have a major decrease taking all that extra energy consumption with it, on top of the increases in efficiency of the energy that we will still need. We can absolutely achieve the same things a type 1 civilization can without having to hit some magic number of energy usage.

  • @seamusoconnor1566
    @seamusoconnor1566 Před 38 minutami

    Elon musk puts himself to sleep with podcasts like this really i do aswell 😂

  • @crisnegri73
    @crisnegri73 Před 40 minutami

    Lier….

  • @iankirkwood2110
    @iankirkwood2110 Před 44 minutami

    Wow what a guy, he looks younger the older he gets...has he been in a black hole...❤

  • @mohammedmb620
    @mohammedmb620 Před 44 minutami

    There is many cases where two or more persons in the same environment and with the same or almsot the same genes but we notice that one succeeded in his life but his brother/sister failed ... I think you have not heard about epigenetics or you don't want to hear about that, basically, it tells you that you can literally change your genes. (It is a SCIENCE with concrete proofs, not a philosophical idea which doesn't have any scientific support and which you have discussed in this ideological discussion !

  • @user-pl3lo8cc8y
    @user-pl3lo8cc8y Před 45 minutami

    Compelling hypothesis… but it’s just that… there’s kind of a guru/cult vibe based on the comments I see in his youtube videos 🤔

  • @FluxNomad678
    @FluxNomad678 Před 49 minutami

    Okay what happens when you make a choice. Certainly, you're informed by past experience, but you're going through a process evaluating your options. Is this not experiencing some kind of Will to choose? Or is the choice already set in your brain is just letting your Consciousness experience and illusion?

  • @eskorekpe1513
    @eskorekpe1513 Před 49 minutami

    If people become wealthy primarily due to luck, this suggests that societies also become wealthy primarily due to luck. So Japan just happens to be luckier than Malaysia and the US just happens to be luckier than Mexico. Some things are so ridiculous that only academics expouse them. Apparently with the goal of taking down Elon Musk, a "political scientist" has to cook up this nonsense. It's clear that luck plays a role in wealth and success, but it's not the main driver. Several factors within our control come into play, such as clarity of purpose, passion and drive, talents and skills, work ethic, risk taking, perseverance, and networking.

  • @cameronshwartz1677
    @cameronshwartz1677 Před 52 minutami

    Boo

  • @KeelanOMoore
    @KeelanOMoore Před 53 minutami

    Well it doesn't matter even if we exist, we are all by ourselves, no god no red heads afterlife. So depressing I know❤

  • @Earl_E_Burd
    @Earl_E_Burd Před 58 minutami

    I see more toxic positivity and censorship than living in reality

  • @MrJetmech
    @MrJetmech Před hodinou

    This is just an intellectualization of a philosophic game Sapolsky likes to play. Basically he is saying that something happened and it is 100% sure that what happened, happened. Like saying whatever occurred was God's will. Argue that it wasn't.... The trick is to forecast happens...next. I am going to eat a hamburger or a chicken sandwich.....tell me I am not going to make a free choice...before I do. Not describe AFTER I choose chicken that I had no choice. How about this guy working a "suicide hotline" sound like a good idea??

    • @MrJetmech
      @MrJetmech Před 57 minutami

      By the way: if you believe in free will, then you have free will. If you do not believe in free will then you do not. Here is a prediction for you: given a BINARY CHOICE that cannot be empirically proven humans will ALWAYS choose the one they WISH was true.

  • @rubncarmona
    @rubncarmona Před hodinou

    I could listen professor Sapolsky forever and never get bored. He might be the coolest grandpa ever

  • @AVADAMS1967
    @AVADAMS1967 Před hodinou

    I love Dr. Sapolsky's work, but as this thread continues, I'm seeing a combination of a societal problem with artificially rushing decisions, and intellectual laziness. Is it more that there is 'free-will', but we as a species are too lazy to chose the 'hard work'. I see this in the development of technology, where we have sought ways to reduce work, first physically (machines), and now mentally (e.g. A.I.)

  • @TheMTGMind
    @TheMTGMind Před hodinou

    it is the same with professional soccer players. it is not only talent (and hard work), it is also having a great game when a scout is watching this exact game for example (luck)

  • @tonym1589
    @tonym1589 Před hodinou

    The debate around free will is really old, it is more likely a case of an Incommensurability of Paradigms. We already know causal determination of outcome breaks down in complex systems and that there are limitations imposed on predictions of outcome where "first cause" cannot be easily determined. This question only exists until we find a paradigm which obviates it and provides a cleaner and more accurate way to measure and predict outcomes. Debating free will is the same as asking what materials contain phlogiston.

  • @KettlesAdvocate
    @KettlesAdvocate Před hodinou

    Don't have one, they reveal as they are.

  • @edgarmorales4476
    @edgarmorales4476 Před hodinou

    Free will is the gift humankind has been given that allows each being to freely choose their ideas and what they wish to believe or not believe. Our ability, through the choices we make, "to create new circumstances and environment, relationships, achievements or failures, prosperity or poverty." There is no way that man may escape what he thinks, says or does [i.e., the fruits of his free will]-for he is born of the Divine Creative Consciousness power and is likewise creative in his imagination.

  • @lexreason258
    @lexreason258 Před hodinou

    Ironically, Sapolsky is the closest thing to the second coming of Christ. Nobody deserves shame nor punishment. And yes, as hard as it seems to be, we must try!!!

  • @Oentience
    @Oentience Před hodinou

    Free will is simply _awareness to the power of x._ You can't refute that but you can find plenty of evidence for it.

  • @danijeljenko184
    @danijeljenko184 Před hodinou

    What a smart ass! He thinks he knows all the misteries of life.

  • @wonderkorbo
    @wonderkorbo Před hodinou

    Now that everybody heard it from a white man can we have a conversation about it ?

  • @Always_has_been
    @Always_has_been Před hodinou

    I don't have free will, so you're saying I can't choose between studying for test or watching Netflix

    • @markj3252
      @markj3252 Před hodinou

      Your choice is based on your enviroment and previous inputs.

    • @mohammedmb620
      @mohammedmb620 Před 56 minutami

      ​@@markj3252 There is many cases where two persons in the same environment and with almsot the same genes but we notice that one succeeded in his life but his brother/sister failed ... I think you have not heard about epigenetics or you don't want to hear about that, basically, it tells you that you can change your genes. (It is a SCIENCE with concrete proofs, not a philosophical idea which doesn't have any scientific support)

    • @mohammedmb620
      @mohammedmb620 Před 50 minutami

      You have a choice my friend and you can change your life. Science tells you that.. you can make some searching about neuroplasticity, epigenetics.... good luck. Last advice, don't listen to the ideologists, they don't have any scientific idea based on what is proven experimentally...

  • @jairofonseca1597
    @jairofonseca1597 Před hodinou

    Obviously, we have free will, we decide our fate based on metaphysical, no determinism at work.

  • @davidkopp344
    @davidkopp344 Před hodinou

    I didn't watch this because I had no free will to choose to watch it.

  • @alirasheed1838
    @alirasheed1838 Před hodinou

    Free will is an illusion but will is not

  • @silvio4880
    @silvio4880 Před hodinou

    HOMENS, não se iludam, as mulheres são falsas, interesseiras, mentirosas, manipuladoras, desleais, infiéis e muito ruins. E ainda tem as leis feministas que as favorecem em qualquer circunstância. E na separação a mulher fica com tudo (casa, carro, etc.) e ainda terá que pagar pensão alimentícia para ela mesmo se não tiver filho com a mulher. Se tiver filho, além de pagar a pensão alimentícia, a situação será muito pior no judiciário (na vara de família) sendo que poderá sofrer falsas acusações por assédio, agressão e outros crimes.

  • @roro-mm7cc
    @roro-mm7cc Před hodinou

    It could also be true that if you treat the world this way, you are more likely to make poor decisions. Having an internal perception of personal responsibility is a motivating factor against poor decision making.

  • @pulse3554
    @pulse3554 Před hodinou

    of course lol, the argument for hard determinism should have been obvious to everyone by the time they were 7 years old - at least to someone in a non western, rational, non dualist culture

  • @MrPaPaYa86
    @MrPaPaYa86 Před hodinou

    "sexual anxiety" is a very marginal point, smells like modern wokeness masked as historical fact. Sure non etherosexuals were discriminated but they were nowhere near the center of political agenda, at least in Italian fascism. The ideal of a traditional family with clear separation of roles was common on both sides of the conflict and allies discriminated homosexuals as well, e.g. The famous perils of poor Turing by the hands of the British

  • @mrwojna
    @mrwojna Před hodinou

    Yes I do. These people are trying to be agents of the “Matrix”. Atheism. Materialism. Is as asinine as it gets.