I keep getting tied up on this question trying to dissect the meanings of the words.
That having been said, I often believe that people choose to believe that they don't have a choice about something they have a choice about. So, in those cases, my answer would be "yes", but I think I'm hesistant generalizing much on this, it feels slippery to me.
I'm assuming that you are referring to particular situations rather than the idea of fate. If that is the case then the choice is still there, although it is severely handicapped.
To give a few practical, rather than a philosophical examples:
A: Consider the placebo effect, it has been shown that a person's belief in something can actually generate a physical reaction i.e. if they believe they can get better then to some extent they do.
B: Consider tests of spatial ability. The fact is, merely believing that you can achieve a high score will guarantee that you will do better had you not been as confident in yourself.
C: Now consider the status of women in the workplace not so long ago. From childhood girls were told that they were to become wives and mothers and that other pursuits were not for them. They would grow up and do what they were told to, because they were raised to believe that it was their only choice.
To summarize, as shown by examples A and B we can see that a person's belief in something can affect their physical and mental performance. As shown by example C believing that the choice isn't there has a significant influence on a person's actions, namely although women in the past could have independently pursued intellectual fields (and dependently too, although that example would require the factoring in of the attitudes of the institutions involved) most did not because they did not believe they had that option.
Therefore, believing that you do not have a choice, be it "I will perform poorly," or "this route is closed to me" will cause most people to either perform worse than they would normally have, or avoid the route even if it is open.
I realize that this may not be the proper place to ask this, but I would very much like to have a LiveJournal account. I promise not to use it for any indecent purpose, and I will generate an account creation code which I will return to you.
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That having been said, I often believe that people choose to believe that they don't have a choice about something they have a choice about. So, in those cases, my answer would be "yes",
but I think I'm hesistant generalizing much on this, it feels slippery to me.
An interesting question.
(Anonymous) 2003-04-03 11:44 am (UTC)(link)To give a few practical, rather than a philosophical examples:
A: Consider the placebo effect, it has been shown that a person's belief in something can actually generate a physical reaction i.e. if they believe they can get better then to some extent they do.
B: Consider tests of spatial ability. The fact is, merely believing that you can achieve a high score will guarantee that you will do better had you not been as confident in yourself.
C: Now consider the status of women in the workplace not so long ago. From childhood girls were told that they were to become wives and mothers and that other pursuits were not for them. They would grow up and do what they were told to, because they were raised to believe that it was their only choice.
To summarize, as shown by examples A and B we can see that a person's belief in something can affect their physical and mental performance. As shown by example C believing that the choice isn't there has a significant influence on a person's actions, namely although women in the past could have independently pursued intellectual fields (and dependently too, although that example would require the factoring in of the attitudes of the institutions involved) most did not because they did not believe they had that option.
Therefore, believing that you do not have a choice, be it "I will perform poorly," or "this route is closed to me" will cause most people to either perform worse than they would normally have, or avoid the route even if it is open.
- Nymeria (nymeria@mail.ru)
Account creation code.
(Anonymous) 2003-04-03 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)Hoping,
Nymeria (nymeria@mail.ru)