As per Albert Einstein in a 1932 writing, the actual translation is "Man can do what he wants, but he cannot will what he wants".

I see it as your third interpretation, less the last part (even when we struggle against them). To simply restate, as I see it; I can choose as I so desire, but cannot choose my desires.

Do we 'choose' to exercise our veto power? If so, then is there a reason for this choice? Follow the thought chain and it will become apparent that even our choice to veto emanates from our unconscious. There is no escape. And no room for free-will.

Nice post. Concise and to the point.

Hi Everyone,

I came across this website, LessWrong, from a philosophy forum. I'm new to this type of thing. I'm not a writer, nor a philosopher, but only someone that is interested in knowing the real truths, whether good, bad, or ugly. It appears to me that most people seem to believe in that which is most palatable to them, that which makes them feel best. I think I am different.

As I see it, all of reality exists ‘only’ from within my mind. All that I know about ‘anything’ come from the thoughts and feelings within my mind. Without thoughts and feelings, I don’t really exist, or at least I wouldn’t know it if I did. The only reference point to experience reality comes from only within my mind, and nowhere else. That is all I have to work with. There are very many things in life to ponder deeply upon, and many of which I have already jumped into. But now I must get out and relook at where I am jumping. Before jumping into any of these again, it makes sense that I back up, way back, to the pondering machine itself, my mind. If reality truly is a figment of my mind, then it makes sense to ‘first’ try to understand and validate my mind (thoughts and feelings) before jumping into the middle of trying to understand any of life’s big (or small) questions. How do they (thoughts and feelings) come about? Where do they come from? Can I trust them? If these cannot be trusted, then it would be truly senseless for me to try to understand anything. Should we just trust our thoughts and feelings without question? Why? Or are these fair-game to be studied? Since there are a large variety of views, understanding, and beliefs by many people, of many questions in life, it seems obvious to me that not everyone’s thoughts and feelings are valid. Whose are valid, whose are not?

Anyways, I'm hoping to learn lots from you all, --RogerG