Posted by Alex Panait on November 06, 19103 at 01:18:33:
Hi all. I have a problem: I cannot make decisions anymore! I know this might sound stupid but let me explain(by the way, I'm from Holland so forgive me if I make language faults).
Because of the fact that we exist and have awareness, we are forced to make decisions at every moment of our lives. So let's make this clear: we HAVE to make decisions. Well now, we can only make a decision when we have a motive for the decision. So we have to determine what our motive is in every situation. Well, I believe all possible motives are based upon our instincts and our instincts are based on THE WILL(I use this word in the meaning that Arthur Schopenhauer gives to it). So to determine which decision to make in every situation of your life, you should determine in every situation of your life which decision would serve THE WILL best. So first you have to understand what THE WILL wants exactly. I think THE WILL does not want ANYTHING, it has no goal. As Schopenhauer has said: THE WILL is the same thing as the thing-at-itself. And the thing-at-itself is ALL AND EVERYTHING, NOTHING AND EVERYTHING. Whatever description you want to give to it, ultimately there's nothing besides the thing-at-itself. The thing-at-itself is everything there is. So how could "everything there is" WANT something? There is nothing it could WANT, because there is nothing besides itself. So if there is nothing it wants, there cannot be any motive to base your decisions on. Still, there is the fact that we HAVE to make decisions at every moment of our lives. This whole thought is making my life a hell. You could say to me: 'well, just do what you want, do what your feelings tell you.' But this is impossible for me since I have attained absolute control over my emotions and my reasoning is the only factor that determines my actions. My feelings and emotions are just data for my reasoning. I cannot make actions based upon emotions because my reasoning just yses my emotions and after that it just makes a decision based on logics, not on what my emotions want. And logics tells my reasoning that there are no motives for it to base it's decisions on. So to make the story short:1. I exist and therefor have to make decisions.2. Every decision requires a motive. 3. I have no motives.
I know I may sound like a freak, but this problem is real for me and I really feel like someone who's trapped in a coffin for eternity without being able to escape from the coffin and without being able to die. So what does such a person do? He goes insane. That's my situation... This post is a desparate call for help from someone who is locked in a terrible situation. Thanks in advance for your help.