BREAKING FREE: Mastering Free Will for a Blissful Life. Embracing Epicurean Wisdom and Modern Science to Improve Your Choices (SKILLS OF HAPPINESS)

Free will and decision-making are mental capabilities and functions. By their nature, they offer us the potential to craft choices and deliberate actions by adjusting our perceptions of our conditions and inventing strategies to overcome constraints. While there are undoubtedly circumstances, such as severe health issues and extreme circumstances, where alternatives may be limited, in most cases, we retain the mental capacity to shape the conditions under which we exercise our free will, thereby infusing our lives with meaning and fulfilling our desires.

The extent of free will we possess is only one of the critical issues. What matters most is whether we can withstand life, give meaning to it, and be happy without choices and freedom of will. Through evolution, our ability to perceive, evaluate alternatives, weigh costs and benefits, and make decisions has been crucial for survival, achieving long-term goals, adapting to our surroundings, and coexisting with others. Life without them would be an agonizing ordeal. Believing in free will can significantly impact an individual's happiness. Those who trust in the idea of free will tend to be more self-assured in their ability to achieve their goals and improve their lives. They possess a sense of self-control, make rational decisions, and are better equipped to manage stressful situations. Conversely, individuals who doubt the existence of free will feel powerless when facing difficulties and adversities.

“BREAKING FREE” is part of the "Skills of Happiness" series, which contains the most exciting content from my lifelong book "EPICURUS AND THE PLEASANT LIFE."