Throughout my life, I have often wondered about free will—whether it truly exists, and how much of our lives are really within our control. It is not an easy question to approach, and I do not claim to have a definite answer. But over time, I have found a way to reflect on it that works for me.
I know myself better than anyone else. I have made most of the important decisions in my life on my own, so studying my own experiences feels like a natural starting point. To do this, I often imagine a series of “what if” scenarios:
- What if I had been born into a poor family?
- What if I had grown up in an underdeveloped country with a weak education system?
- What if I had inherited a genetic condition such as ADHD or autism?
- What if my classmates had created a hostile environment in school, making it hard for me to focus?
You can generate endless variations of these questions, and they all highlight the same truth: so much of life is beyond our control. Personally, if I had been born in a poor family, I likely would not have had access to good schooling. I might not have been able to study Electrical Engineering at one of the best universities in my country, and I probably would not have had the chance to pursue a PhD at a prestigious institution.
The more I reflect on these questions, the more the idea of absolute “free will” seems to fade.
Why does this matter? Because it changes how we view success. Nobody is entitled to be proud in an arrogant way about their achievements. Whatever definition of success you choose, academic, professional, or personal, it is not earned by willpower alone. It is shaped by the circumstances into which you were born, the opportunities you were given, and the conditions that carried you forward.
Recognizing this truth, I believe, is key to becoming a decent human being. Success is not a reason to look down on others—it is a reminder of how much we owe to chance, and how much empathy we should carry toward those who were not given the same conditions.
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