Outside influences can indeed influence us but we then MAKE A CHOICE on how we will respond to those influences. That is free will. If there is no free will then who is the puppet master pulling the strings? God, fate, destiny?
This follows an old argument from bible studies (back when I was involved in that sort of thing). Free Will vs Predestination. Predestination follows the belief that God has already decided who is a part of the redeemed and will go to heaven. Because he can see all of time and already knows your actions and outcomes before you were born. However, even in the same scriptures they try to use to prove this falsehood it has examples of when God Himself was surprised by someone NOT doing as they should have according to all of their background indicators.
So my point still stands that outside influences have a huge part in our decision making process. At the end of the day, though, it is OUR choice. Free Will
Usually people who tend to lean on the belief that we lack free will are in reality just trying to justify their behaviors. It is their scapegoat for anything not deemed socially acceptable. They will just say "I can't help it...I was made that way"
If you see a billboard ad of a hamburger and the next day you decide to eat one than how much of that decision is yours? When you see tv ads with so many subliminal messages, how do you know they are not changing your decisions?
We STILL have a choice. Advertising is a great example of outside influences.
I think in your example you are questioning not free-will but the strength of will power. We all have differing levels of will power. The ability to overcome these influences. That is why some smokers can chain smoke for 20 years then put it down and walk away. While others will try but always return to smoking over and over. They lack the will power to fight the urges.
The reason advertising is able to influence most people about simple things - like what to eat for dinner - is because we don't care enough one way or the other. Most people don't put much thought into their dietary intake on a meal by meal basis. So the influence works. A VEGAN on the other would be unmoved by this advertising because he actually cares about his dietary intake.
This is getting to be too long. So I will digress and just say thanks for the discourse. I really did enjoy it!
lol. A Vegan is the most brainwashed of all since humans have stomach flora that is designed from evolution to digest meme. They just bought into another meme. hence making yet again my point.
:)
LOL!...I can agree with your statement about vegans. I was only using them as an EXAMPLE of people having the FREE WILL to choose. So MY point is still valid!
Actually, you just helped to prove my point further. Since according to you part of the natural influence of "stomach flora" in our own body would say eat the meat. They use their own will power to overcome that influence. Because they chose to. WE make choices based off of our understanding and parsing of information that is given to us. Still a choice. An influence is ONLY an influence NOT a command. So that once we hear or see something we somehow become a slave to it. Humans still have the free will to choose for themselves how they will respond.
“Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation.”
― Viktor E. Frankl https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/2782.Viktor_E_Frankl
Our bodies are designed to eat meat. they don't have to eat meat :)