Sure, everybody has a history. Nobody agrees with everybody all the time. Same for me. My issue with this essay is that it doesn't examine that history and how it affects people.
Another way to look at it is in terms of having a choice in response to some stimulus. If somebody expressing a desire compels me to do a, "Yes sir yes sir three bags full" routine, I'm not free. But I'm equally unfree if my response is to shout, "Fuck you, you're not my dad." To me, really thinking for myself comes after my reactions pass and I'm at peace again.
Oh, I don't disagree. But didn't you have situations in which the amount of adequate responses you can give is a small set?
So even if somebody were to predict all your possible responses that still doesn't mean that you don't have free will. You do. But your choice set might be limited at the time.
I might be nitpicking here though. If what you are getting at is "I let my spontaneous reaction pass silently in my head and THEN analyze how should I really respond" then I am in full agreement -- I trained myself to do that too and I found it to be the option that maintains my inner peace much better.
Sure, everybody has a history. Nobody agrees with everybody all the time. Same for me. My issue with this essay is that it doesn't examine that history and how it affects people.
As to the latter, I think you're confusing nonattachment with detachment. I've written more about that here: https://www.quora.com/I-have-learned-that-attachment-leads-t...
Another way to look at it is in terms of having a choice in response to some stimulus. If somebody expressing a desire compels me to do a, "Yes sir yes sir three bags full" routine, I'm not free. But I'm equally unfree if my response is to shout, "Fuck you, you're not my dad." To me, really thinking for myself comes after my reactions pass and I'm at peace again.