Determined

Welcome to the book summary of “Determined: Life without Free Will”

by Robert M. Sapolsky, written and narrated by Janky Mind.

Introduction

Imagine this: You’ve always thought you’re the captain of your ship, steering your life with your choices. But what if you’re actually sailing on a pre-charted course, with your route mapped out by things you can’t see or control?

This easy guide dives into the idea that maybe, just maybe, we’re not as free as we think. It’s like we’re actors following a script written by our genes, the things we went through as kids, and the invisible rules of our society.

So, get ready for a journey that might just change the way you think about every decision you make. Who’s really in charge – you, or the unseen forces that have been guiding you all along? Let’s find out together!

Lesson 1: The Invisible Strings That Pull Us

Think of life as a grand show, and you’re the star. But here’s the twist: every line you deliver, every move you make, might just be part of a script written long before you stepped on stage. This script isn’t penned by a playwright, but by the silent whispers of your DNA and the echoes of your upbringing.

Let’s lighten the mood with a quirky tale from history. Picture this: William James, a big thinker from the old days, once had a chat with a lady who believed the world sat on a giant turtle. “What’s under that turtle?” he asked. “Another turtle,” she said. And under that? “It’s turtles all the way down,” she insisted.

Sounds wacky, doesn’t it? But there’s a hidden wisdom in her turtle tower. It’s a bit like saying our lives are stacked on layers of unseen forces, one on top of the other, without end.

So, here’s the scoop: determinism says that everything we do is the result of a complex dance between our brains and our past. Your brain decides to act because of a domino effect that started way back—maybe even before you were born. Your genes, your childhood memories, and the culture you grew up in all join hands to choreograph your every move.

It’s like saying, “It’s not just turtles—it’s everything all the way down.”

Sure, it might seem odd to think our world is propped up by an endless stack of turtles. But isn’t it stranger to think that somewhere down the line, the stack just stops?

Consider this: you probably agree that some things, like whether we’re cheery or gloomy, are wired into us. You don’t pick your dominant hand or decide to have a sweet tooth—it’s all part of the package you’re born with. And if someone’s had a tough start in life, it might shape who they become.

So, if we can nod along to the idea that some parts of us are set in stone, why not the whole shebang?

The next chapters will take you on a wild ride, challenging the very idea of free will and showing you why embracing this new perspective could actually be the best plot twist yet.

Lesson 2: The Secret Puppeteers of Your Mind

Imagine you’re in a game show of life, and the next challenge is up: Do you zoom through the red light, take the shot, or grab those two-for-one drinks? It feels like you’re making these choices in the moment, right?

But what if I told you that your brain is the secret puppeteer, pulling strings before you even know it? This is what Benjamin Libet, a brainy scientist from the '80s, discovered. He had folks sit down with a super precise clock and pick between two buttons. They thought they chose in a split second, but their brain waves told a different story—they were ready to press that button even before they knew they’d made up their mind!

This sneak peek into our brains’ backstage is called readiness potential. It’s like your neurons are whispering, “Let’s do this,” before you shout, “Go!” So when you’re eyeing that happy hour deal, it’s not just a spur-of-the-moment choice; your brain’s been planning this party without telling you.

But hey, don’t feel like you’ve lost all control. Libet also found we’ve got a ‘free won’t’—a tiny window to slam on the brakes before our brain’s decision hits the stage. It’s like having a secret ‘cancel’ button for that last-second dive or the urge to spill the beans to your boss.

Now, the real head-scratcher: Why did your brain set up that intent in the first place? It’s not just about those milliseconds before action—it’s about the whole story behind your brain’s secret plans. And that’s the next big reveal we’re diving into.

Lesson 3: The Tapestry of Choices

Picture your life as a grand tapestry, woven with threads of memories, lessons, and traditions. Every choice you make, no matter how quick or impulsive, is a stitch made by this intricate weave.

Take a 40-year-old officer, moments away from a life-altering decision: to shoot or not to shoot. It seems like a clear-cut case of free will. But dig deeper, and you’ll see it’s more complex. The object in the suspect’s hand, the officer’s past experiences, and even their last meal play a part in this critical moment.

Dive into the past, and you’ll find neuroplasticity—the brain’s magical ability to rewire itself. Fatherhood softens a man, and a week in darkness sharpens the ears. Our brains are shaped by experiences we never chose, like childhood scars that leave lasting marks.

The frontal cortex, our decision-making powerhouse, is sculpted during our teenage years, influenced more by life’s drama than by our DNA. The love or neglect we felt at thirteen echoes in our choices at ninety-three.

Our ability to think, feel, and control our impulses is rooted in childhood. It’s molded by our parents’ touch, our friends’ laughter, and even the climate we grew up in. Yes, even the weather plays a part in who we become.

We don’t pick the womb we’re born from, but the cocktail of substances it contains programs our minds. Our genes set the stage, but life’s play decides our role. And our heritage? It tunes our emotions to the world’s rhythm, whether we face it with a smile or a serene gaze.

So, when our officer faces that split-second decision, it’s not just a moment’s choice—it’s the culmination of a lifetime’s script.

Lesson 4: The Puzzle of Blame When Choices Aren’t Really Ours

Imagine society as a giant game of Jenga, with each block representing our belief in free will. Pull out the free will block, and the tower wobbles. Our laws, schools, and all the rules we live by assume we’re in charge of our actions. But what if we’re not?

What if all our choices are just the roll of the dice by our biological and cultural dice masters? If so, should we still get the blame when things go wrong? Should we face consequences for actions we didn’t really choose?

Let’s hop into our time machine and visit the Middle Ages. Back then, if a child had seizures, people blamed witchcraft and punished the nearest lonely lady. Now we know better—it’s all about genes and nerve cells.

Fast forward to today. Imagine a driver who’s never had a seizure suddenly has one and, tragically, hits someone. It’s an accident, right? But what if they knew they had seizures and skipped their meds? It feels like a moral puzzle now.

You might want to blame them, but remember our journey through the brain’s hidden layers. So many things nudge that “choice” not to take the medicine. Are they really to blame, any more than those accused witches were?

If we ditch the idea of personal blame, does that mean chaos reigns? Not necessarily. Think about bears—they’re not evil, but we don’t let them roam the streets. We could rethink justice, focusing on safety instead of blame. Maybe it’s time for a kinder approach, one that understands the tangled web behind our actions.

Skeptical? It’s natural. We’ve always linked behavior to blame. But history shows us the harm in that. We once thought lefties were cursed, dyslexics were lazy, and trauma was just an act. We’ve grown since then, learning to see beyond the blame to the story behind it. And maybe, just maybe, it’s time for our understanding of choice and consequence to grow too.

Final summary

Think of life as a big, complex machine. Every gear and wire—your genes, your upbringing, the world around you—works together to make you ‘you’. And when it comes to making choices, it’s not just about ‘free will’; it’s about how all these parts work together.

So, when we talk about justice, maybe it’s time to shift gears. Instead of asking, “Who’s to blame?” we could focus on keeping everyone safe. It’s like setting up guardrails instead of punishing someone for going off the road.

About the author

Robert M. Sapolsky, a brainy professor at Stanford, digs into this big idea. He’s spent a lot of time with our primate cousins in Kenya and written cool books like “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers” and “Behave”. He’s all about understanding the ‘why’ behind what we do, from our biology to our behavior. And maybe, just maybe, that understanding can lead us to a kinder, safer world.