Dr. Matt May

Yeah, I liked your response. So... My thinking, I'll just re-express, and it hasn't changed much as a result of this question or this conversation. It's simply that I don't, I can't imagine something other than the brain being responsible for our decision-making. And certainly we all make decisions. We can witness that. And the question is, can we control what our brain is doing in the moment?

Yeah, I liked your response. So... My thinking, I'll just re-express, and it hasn't changed much as a result of this question or this conversation. It's simply that I don't, I can't imagine something other than the brain being responsible for our decision-making. And certainly we all make decisions. We can witness that. And the question is, can we control what our brain is doing in the moment?

And I don't think that that's possible. I think our brain just has an atomic structure that operates according to the laws of physics and that there's nothing else that could control it outside of... There's nothing else determining our decision-making other than the operation of our brain. And it doesn't make sense to me the hypothesis of a self that's operating the brain or the idea that we...

And I don't think that that's possible. I think our brain just has an atomic structure that operates according to the laws of physics and that there's nothing else that could control it outside of... There's nothing else determining our decision-making other than the operation of our brain. And it doesn't make sense to me the hypothesis of a self that's operating the brain or the idea that we...

could somewhere from some outside space control the brain isn't a reasonable hypothesis in my opinion. I don't know how to explain it that well. It's hard to explain something you don't believe.

could somewhere from some outside space control the brain isn't a reasonable hypothesis in my opinion. I don't know how to explain it that well. It's hard to explain something you don't believe.

We'd have just a different universe. I can't even imagine what that might be like.

We'd have just a different universe. I can't even imagine what that might be like.

Yeah, the reason this topic is interesting to me is that I think it can be useful to rid ourselves of blame, both self-blame and other blame, that if we couldn't have done differently than what our brains chose to do, then we shouldn't have done differently. So if you want forgiveness or if you want to forgive someone else, this is one approach you can take. And I found it useful personally.

Yeah, the reason this topic is interesting to me is that I think it can be useful to rid ourselves of blame, both self-blame and other blame, that if we couldn't have done differently than what our brains chose to do, then we shouldn't have done differently. So if you want forgiveness or if you want to forgive someone else, this is one approach you can take. And I found it useful personally.

A lot of my patients have found it liberating to let go of some idea of a self that's operating their brain and to realize we're just a product of nature and nurture that we didn't choose.

A lot of my patients have found it liberating to let go of some idea of a self that's operating their brain and to realize we're just a product of nature and nurture that we didn't choose.

Yeah, I can be changed by a cheeseburger. I can go from feeling hungry and angry to very satisfied.

Yeah, I can be changed by a cheeseburger. I can go from feeling hungry and angry to very satisfied.

I guess maybe one thing is like saying that is unlikely to change their opinion. Exactly, exactly. And so I don't think you're in much danger of pulling the rug out from underneath them.

I guess maybe one thing is like saying that is unlikely to change their opinion. Exactly, exactly. And so I don't think you're in much danger of pulling the rug out from underneath them.

Yeah, there was one other statement this person brought up in the email exchange that we had, and I really appreciated that email exchange. But it was a concern about viewing people as like a clockworks, that if my view is that they don't have a self or a soul, that they're really just like machines.

Yeah, there was one other statement this person brought up in the email exchange that we had, and I really appreciated that email exchange. But it was a concern about viewing people as like a clockworks, that if my view is that they don't have a self or a soul, that they're really just like machines.

And one thing I wanted to acknowledge there was that we all have feelings, and so we're not machines. And those feelings are very real. And that's why we care about each other. So I think the philosophy that there's no self or free will is actually consistent with caring about people a lot. And I just wanted to bring that out into the conversation.

And one thing I wanted to acknowledge there was that we all have feelings, and so we're not machines. And those feelings are very real. And that's why we care about each other. So I think the philosophy that there's no self or free will is actually consistent with caring about people a lot. And I just wanted to bring that out into the conversation.