The Crossroad

History is our greatest teacher…it will patiently repeat itself until we learn the lesson it intends to teach us…

…until that day we will find ourselves walking the circular path that takes us back to this place where we again have the choice to choose our direction…

The crossroad a place referenced, one way or another, throughout literature.  It is the place of choice for an individual or for a society.  It is that point in time when two opposing factions are vying for control and the individual or society must opt for one or the other.

This is not a new situation and was contemplated by Socrates and many that followed.  Philosophy and its pursuit of continually advancing wisdom and social intelligence or anarchy and terrorism, again, stand at crossroad of humanity.

I was fortunate to have attended a very progressive public high school, that had in its curriculum a philosophy course.  It was taught by a dedicated instructor that to this day remains my most influential instructor.  This class and the instructor set my path in life and my first college degree was in Philosophy and I have continued for the next 45 years a student and teacher of philosophy.

One cannot be immersed in historical philosophy, and personally committed to the philosopher’s life for an extended period of time without their creating their own.  Mine has been labeled “Quantum Obligation.”  Although it is extensive and rhetorical, the “bottom-line” is that we are obligated, as human beings, to leave every moment, (quanta), better, for our having been allowed to be a part of it.

This leads to the purpose of this brief article.  At the risk of sounding like Socrates, we are at the crossroad and our choice is to abdicate to social degradation and its use of fear and dissention or the pursuit of living in the philosophical pursuit and subsequent advancement of actions and behaviors that improve the world around us…or at least the part of our world that matters.

We have allowed terrorism to wedge into our lives.  Not just the blatant terrorism of sects of society that seek the degradation of society through fear and suffering, but also through individual terroristic behaviors, such as, social dissent, individual aggressive behaviors, threats, gangs, organized crime, and so on.

This choice is real and not unlike the threats (choice)afforded many societies in our past.  Sadly, we find ourselves, again, at this crossroad.  This begs the question, “if this is history repeating itself, what lesson does it intend to teach humanity?”

The answer may simply be “societal commitment.”  For short periods of time, individual societies held the pursuit of philosophy and the benefits of open discourse as the preferred mode of operation.  Each time the society advances to a point of lethargy and apathy.  Societies then allow social degradation, a foothold and ultimately destroy the advancements afforded through its philosophical pursuits.

How does society stop walking this vicious circle? 

It may be as simple as an ineffaceable commitment to renewing its pursuit of philosophical advancement with a simultaneous resistance to the tools and ploys of terrorism, hoodlumism, and gang mentality.  Individuals and society must see that its tolerance of any behavior not in a philosophical stream is the subtle drug that diverts them to the path that leads them back to the crossroads.  We must act accordingly and strive to avert repeating history’s lesson.        

What America Needs...

I am not romanticizing the past or even attempting to be specifically prescriptive...

I am editorializing today,,,rather than philosophizing!

YET...from a philosophical viewpoint...

I have been thinking about the needs of our society...

The list is long...too long to waste yours or my time...

As I worked to organize and reduce the list to the "vital few" worth writing about, my mind wandered to a time is the US' past that was VERY turbulent yet the participants made major strides in improving our society...

The 1960's and 1970's!

A time of hippies...and Jesus Freaks...and Mother Earth'ers...and War Activists...and Segregation Fighters...

Nearly everyone who was anybody had a cause and fought diligently for it!

It was a time of LOVE and PASSION...

It was a time of great unrest!

It was a time of change...

and CHANGE we did!

and then we resumed a life of comfort and apathy...

Just like the people that we criticized and fought!

It was a time of thinking!

It was a time of soul-searching...

We knew what we needed and we worked diligently to achieve it!

There are few activists today, in the public...of the caliber that arose in the 1960's and 1970's...

They are here...but they are not doing what the past's change agents did!

What America needs is for those people to arise...

What America needs is for those, who were passionate "back in the day" to come out of their comfortable retirements and apathy...with all of the passion that they once had...and rekindle...NO...Set ablaze the fires of change!

We are living with a lot of accumulated baggage...much of it is worthless trash...

We need to dance around the bonfires of change... discarding the stuff that got us to this place and use the ashes of change as the nutrients from which a better world can arise...

We believed that back then...WE believed that we could make a difference...AND WE DID!

America needs us...to come back in the power and love that we had back then...

Quantum Obligation – Freedom and Liberty

Please remember that this is "rough."  Rather than wasting time "word smithing" I want to put this out to the community...I welcome your comments and edits (which you can do at the end of this blog). 

If you wish to be notified of each "post" I am doing so through my Twitter account 21stPhilosophy The Logo is a Tesseract).  If you follow that account (there is a "follow me" button lower down in this post on the right-hand side), you will receive update announcements through the hashtag #QuantumObligation.  




The foundation of Quantum Obligation (QO) lies in an individual’s obligation to leave (exit or finish) every moment (or event) better for having been a participant.  

The question as arisen as to QO’s interference with individual freedom and liberty.  

Although it may appear semantic in nature, both the apparent contradictions and answer lies in the use of the word "obligation."

Prior to addressing use and placement of that particular term, it is necessary to understand the QO perspective of "Liberty and Freedom."  

Liberty is simply lack of oppressive restrictions imposed by an external authority.

Freedom is the absence of coercion or constraint in one's exercise of choices. 

Although both may seem point to the same aspect, Liberty is global (societal) in nature, while Freedom is individualistic.

This takes us to the first important aspect of QO.

QO’s perspective on Freedom and Liberty is not unique or revolutionary!  

From the QO perspective, the "Right to Choose" is not guided by external entities, but driven from within the individual.  The "minimum standard" is external to the individual...yet the desire of a QO adherent to exceed "minimum standards" and perform to higher standards is internally driven...for no other reason than personal obligation...     

It actually follows the logic found in Socratic/Platonic philosophy, i.e. “we are only free to do the good.”   QO takes this logic and places the right or obligation at the lowest level possible (i.e the Q moment or event).

Let us look at an example...

 

For the past five decades, society has been deluded into following self-serving “pseudo” philosophies using such terms as “to each…their own” or “to thine own self be true” or “do your own thing” or “the me generation.”  The list is endless.  In part this philosophy is correct.  However a fatal flaw exists.  

The fallacy of this belief is that individuals have the right to define success.

Many argue that success is an intangible perspective and therefore defined by the individual.  To me, this argument can best be described as "the fox guarding the hen house.”  In order for success to be meaningful and of any value, the standard of performance must go beyond the criteria of the individual.  

Although some individuals are capable of establishing appropriate standards of success, most individuals that adhere to a self-serving philosophy will establish standards that are easily achieved.  Only fools would set standards of performance for themselves that were difficult to impossible to achieve!  

It follows that an externally exceeding an established standard is what defines success.  

Let's entertain a simple example.  Mother Teresa’s standard of performance (expected by society) was that of a nun.  Her exceeding the minimum standard made her a recognized success.

It must be noted that an interesting concept does exist...as long as Mother Teresa's personal standard of performance exceeded the minimum expected standard, she could perform by her standard.  If her standards and subsequent performance fell below minimum expected standards, she abdicates her right to decide...  

In other words, Freedom to act does not extend to an individual’s right not to meet minimum standards.  Because minimum standards are external to the individual, minimum performance can not occur without recourse.  I call this, "cause and effect recourse."  The recourse may be inconsequential, depending upon the true impact to the source of external standard.  Even no recourse is considered a recourse...there is always recourse...


In other words...the "minimum standards" define what is good and proper.  If individuals meet or exceeds the minimum standards, they have full liberty and freedom to act. Thus... an individual's freedom begins when they meet "minimum standards."  The decision or inability to meet "minimum standards" is an abdication of liberty and freedom.  One can not decide not to meet obligations and expect liberty and freedom.  


Liberty and Freedom is NOT an entitlement, it is an expectation of the citizens of the moment or event.  


Although individuals are free and given full liberty to choose to do less than the minimum required (free to do "bad")...this is however not without consequence...


Freedom and liberty is only accorded to those who meet minimum expectations (the good).  As Plato/Socrates held...people are only free (afforded freedom) when they meet and exceed expectations.


That is why QO holds that ...we are obligated to leave every moment (event) better for our having been a participant...  

Quantum Obligation and The Random Event

Please remember that this is "rough."  Rather than wasting time "word smithing" I want to put this out to the community...I welcome your comments (which you can do at the end of this blog). 






If you wish to be notified of each "post" I am doing so through my Twitter account 21stPhilosophy The Logo is a Tesseract).  If you follow that account (there is a "follow me" button lower down in this post on the right-hand side), you will receive update announcements through the hashtag #QuantumObligation. 

Quantum Obligation is an interesting philosophical concept.  At this point in its explanation, there is a need to tie physics and mathematics (statistics) into it. 

The question at this point is...

Does man have "free will" or the ability to choose?

Free will ultimately rests on the assumption that "randomness" exists...

At this point physics needs to to be interjected...

In Quantum Obligation...There was one and only one random event...that being "the BIG BANG."

This was (is) the moment at which existence changed from a singularity to three dimensions.

Prior to that moment, there was (is) an infinite number of possibilities afforded...all of them had an equal chance of occurring...(Random existed)...

After that instance when the first two quanta moved outward in specific directions, that entire universe was established...with no other possibilities possible...

This means that every event...every grain of sand...the location of the earth in the universe...even the nature of "Pi" (this is another blog) could be explained through a regression equation...that by necessity would trace back to the "BIG BANG."

If the regression equation was sufficiently comprehensive, anything can be predicted with 100% accuracy...

What about a "coin toss?" one may ask...

(NOTE: I used this example for its simplicity, but this could be applied to any event)

On outward appearance that event of series of events appears "random" meaning that the chances of a coin landing on heads or tails is virtually equal...

I contend that with sufficient information, each individual event could be predicted...that is one of my epiphanies of the utter obvious!

If we could take the time to measure the exact mass, the starting position of the coin, the toss forces and location, the resistive forces on the coin, gravitational fluctuations, minute shifts in the mass of the coin (due to atomic motion), etc., we could, with absolute certainty predict heads of tails. 

Let's dive a bit deeper...

With a long enough regression equation, we could predict that (or at least) describe the very existence of each atom in the coin...and how they traveled from the singularity...through first generation stars and became metals...and then the star went nova...and the materials traveled across the universe to the earth...and we concentrated and shaped into the coin that is perched on one's thumb, ready for the toss...

You get the picture...

It can all be explained...thus it was determined at the moment of change from the singularity...

This takes randomness out of the three dimensional world...

If there is no randomness...then there is no free will...

An interesting dilemma occurs at this point...

One may contend that if there is no free will...then there is no choice...what happens...will happen and "we" have no control...

Quantum Obligation requires choice...which brings an event from the possible world into existence.

Choice is the act of creation (not unlike the BIG BANG!)

An individual must choose (even though it could be fully explained and is therefore not a choice)...in order to fulfill the event.

Any choice (even the choice not to act) can be explained.  Yet it is choice that is the critical component of Quantum obligation. 

This appears circular, but I believe that it is not.

The bottom line...

Randomness existed at the moment prior to the BIG BANG...

At the moment of change from a singularity...randomness ceased to exist and all events were established.

Logically...free will does not exist...

Choice however still exists as an event and a precursor to the quantum event or a component of the event itself, even though the choice is predetermined...

The existence of freewill is of little or no importance to Quantum Obligation...the exercise of choice is...

Thoughts?





  

Quantum Obligation

It has been a while since my last post.  I will not waste time writing frivolous prose or ideas that lack meaning and impact.

This area is entirely devoted to words and thoughts that "...make a difference..."

A while back I began my trek to compile the essential elements of the 21st century philosophy.  Those foundational precepts that when followed while aid in making this world better...(isn't this the role of a philosopher?)

I am uniquely blessed with a few individuals that exchange thoughts with me on a daily basis, challenge my position and (in their own way) guide this foundational path...

One such discussion has grown into a comprehensive philosophy...I call it "Quantum Obligation."

Although on outward appearance it may seem new...it has its DNA deeply rooted in the concepts of social obligation, existentialism and believe it or not hedonism!

The 21st century is so "me" oriented that all but a rare few individuals are looking much higher (on Maslow's hierarchy) than the survival level...What I am saying is...the human race is finding itself in a survival mode (whether they realize it or not).  Believing that they are consistently at a higher level is self-deception.

There are no "grand unification" philosophies!  Each "scheme" relates to a segment of the human society.  The prevalent philosophy is simply that which appeals to the largest group.

Quantum Obligation does not fall into this category...yet...

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What is Quantum Obligation?

Simply stated...it is the responsibility to leave every "moment" (Quanta), at minimum, unscathed or better, for one's having been a participant in it.

In order for our species to survive we must realize that our futures are a sum total of the past and present moments.

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What is a moment?

The single most important "word" within this philosophy is "moment."

A "moment" is not a fixed point in time.  It is an event with a specific entry point and exit point.  It is better described as an event.  Some moments may last milliseconds...while others may last a lifetime.

 A moment is a period of time in which the individual takes (receives) something and returns something, in exchange for being there.  It is a transaction...with an external investment, an internal benefit and a return to the investor for the initial investment...

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A real life example...or two...


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Stay Tuned! 

The Fatal Flaw within "For-Profit" Education

A while back I read an obscure blog, in which the writer that projected that 2 years from then (about a year from now) the dust will settle and only 5 or so post secondary, "for-profit" schools will be left standing!  The writer did not wager who they would be although the article did mention that it would probably not be those who are the major players today.  The reason that he gave was that they have dug themselves too deep into the "profit" side of the equation...rather than focusing on the benefits that privatization education (capitalizing) could produce...

He called "for profit" the current Great American Experiment...

I personally liked that reference because when one experiments they are looking for certain results under a specific set of circumstances...and uses the experiment to ferret out previously unknown weaknesses in the initial assumptions.  If the experiment is important enough...adjustments to the assumptions are made...and the value of the overall effort reassessed...if the value derived is sufficient, then the experiment continues...if not,,,it  ceases...

Another thing that intrigued me about the blog was that...although it seemed like pure conjecture...it had some excellent data behind it and rather than simple conjecture...it was more like "data-backed prophecy!"

The sad thing is that the blog was quite accurate.

I have tried in vain to relocate it and write a comment related to my retraction of my skeptical, but unspoken opinion of it...when I first read it!  I suggested that the current institutions were too big and important to kill!  I was wrong!  The customers (students and taxpayers) have seemingly had enough and admissions rates are dropping drastically (as he projected)...only those who truly meet their needs are going to survive...

This leads to an interesting (and deeper) thought that I have pondered for some time...

Our educational system (especially the for-profit sector) was given an opportunity to quantum leap above the rest of the world...and it instead it got distracted, greedy, focused on profits and may now be unable to rise above that tide.  This is exactly what was referenced by too much focus on the "for profit" side of the equation rather than on the "education" side...

One company that I worked for in the past, embedded the following axiom in the brains of its employees..."focus on the customer and the money will follow..."  "For Profit" education should take a lesson from them.  This company remains at the top of the Fortune 100 because of this philosophy...and seldom does their profits dwindle...

One of the issues that caused this was the neglect to accurately identify all of the customers and focus on the REAL needs and demands...Students and Stockholders are just the beginning...and there are many more powerful customers that have been totally neglected...

"Easy (low-risk) Money" filled the pockets of many "for profit" executives...with hard-earned taxpayer monies...what little savings the students had...

This growth bolstered their self perceptions of infallibility...and contributed to their misdirection...

That is sad...they are like a child gone wrong!  They had so much potential...

Where did we go wrong?

What was the fatal flaw?

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I have been reading George Bush's book..."Decision Points."

I found an interesting section ( a few paragraphs) in the book that reflected on the fatal flaws within many of the cultural revolutions (China was emphasized).  The important observation that he made was that the basis for the revolution was appropriate, but the leaderships' self-serving motives quickly took hold and tainted a good thing...often to the detriment of the participants of the cause...

What hit me was that the American Educational System was afforded the opportunity for a cultural revolution.  Now the same drama is playing out in this arena.

Capitalization of this service to America has the ability to provide efficient and effective education, when placed in the hands of creative entrepreneurs.

I realize that within the for-profit arena "margin" and profit needs to be the #1 focus.  It is however that the rules of engagement need to be narrow.  Control is critical to the success.  Capitalization of Education will always reduce itself (by its very nature) to the easiest route to profit.

Without control, the letter of the intent will be followed and the spirit of intent will be ignored.

Participation within this arena needs to be contingent upon providing an effective education to non-traditional students.  I have been reading articles to the contrary.  These institutions are using "lower classed" students as an excuse for their failure.  I agree that individuals who are not accustomed to the educational arena have less of a chance of graduating...(projections say that only about 20% of the students in non-traditional schools have the ability and discipline to succeed), yet this is the challenge that will be met by the organizations that will survivor.

Many of these institutions tout non-traditional education for non-traditional students.  What they are simply providing is a traditional education with a non-traditional delivery system (on line or flex classes).  This takes us back to the customer (student) focus that is required to be successful.

That being...providing the student with what they need to be successful...rather than what we want them to do...so that we profit (from the organizational perspective)...

It is that sensitivity and awareness that will lead to success!

How many of these institutions realize that the ultimate customer within this complex equation is the taxpayer...we are paying for our fellow citizens to get an advanced education and contribute advanced skills to our society...failure is not an option...When you are a steward of the taxpayers' money, failure is not an option...it is treason!

These institutions have to stop lobbying for relief for the proposed standards...and use their creative capitalistic skills to meet and exceed customer needs!  All of the customers!  It is their obligation for getting involved in this enterprise...

We should not have to tell them what the rules are...but if they refuse to live up to the spirit of the intent...then...

1 - Retain the students that the have committed to...
2 - Graduate Students at a rate equal to or better than traditional institutions
3 - Make a Profit while they provide these services to America
4 - Drive these students to Gainful Employment and stay committed until they are gainfully employed
5 - Partner in ensuring that these student repay their loans...to the extent that they refund the taxpayer if the Loan Default occurs

That is good corporate citizenship...anything else is a travesty...

I can just hear the current schools screaming that they can not survive if these standards were placed upon them.  I do not believe that is so!  For every complainer there is another institution with truly committed American citizens that can step up and say...now that we know the rules of engagement...let's meet and exceed the challenge.

It is the American attitude of "can do!" institutions that will make "for profit" education what it was meant (in spirit) to be.  The others will fade away as prophesied in that blog...

The fatal flaw is not a genetic flaw...but a fatal virus that is not prevalent in all institutions...

Some of the current institutions are immune because of their leaderships' adherence to the spirit of the intent and not the letter...These are the institutions that will survive...

The others will grow more and more ill...they will be unable to function...complain, reduce their staffing and finally die...it sorrows me to think of this happening...

I truly want to see "for profit" education succeed.  It has its place in our society...

Its spirit provides it with tools giving it the ability to do what traditional schools are inherently incapable of doing...

The fatal flaw?

Narrow focus...on the wrong side of the equation!

The antidote?

Our "for profit" institutions must focus on the Spirit and not the Letter of the law and their obligations...

One will never fail when that is achieved!

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What does this specific example have to do with 21st Century Philosophy?

The roots of the concept is actually an 18th Century concept that was promoted by the American Founding Fathers!

They recognized the infallibility of man and his "laws"

They also recognized that there were specific "unalienable" truths that they may know but can not fully explain...

A true citizen adheres to the spirit of these laws and not to the letter of the written law...

"One who personally profits from a poorly written law, while recognizing the spirit of its intent is no citizen of this...our society..."

The 21st Century citizen, whether American or Global...needs to identify and exceed the spirit of the law's intent...rather than squandering that time...looking for loopholes and ways to personally profit...

This 18th Century concept needs to be rejuvenated...and brought back to the forefront of every 21st Century activity...

...If not...we are not citizens of this society or any...and should be treated that way!

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Enough Said!







      

Global Responsibility...

I have to rant for a moment or two!  Please forgive me!

I recently read a philosophy blog claiming to have "cracked" the argument for "free will."  It was poorly written and even worse...it had major flaws in its logic...elementary flaws...I would be embarrassed to even print it on paper, let alone put it on the Internet for the world to see...I do hope that he is not proud of that work or that he does not go around arguing that case...

I will not provide the link, or even mention this individual's name...he is not a philosopher and like many people who purport to be something and are nothing more than "wanna-bes."  They give good things a bad name...

This blog is written by, what I would call an elementary school philosophy "wanna-be."  He tried to logically develop an argument for freewill.  If I were his professor...I would give him an "F!".  In short, his logic concluded with...since we do not know all of the details necessary for us to totally understand cause and effect...then freewill has to be a valid option.  I bet that he didn't realize that he said...since we are stupid...we have the right to believe in magic!

That is right...all he made was two arguments for stupidity...first that he was arrogant enough to believe that humans are smart enough to know everything to the extent that they fully understand cause and effect.  That was simply an argument for how stupid mankind remains in relation to the universe of knowledge.  He went so far as to quote Einstein out of context and call that an admission that mankind is incapable of understanding all of the details...therefore cause and effect does not exist...

Second his argument itself was so stupid...it stood as an example of stupidity!

It saddens me to see someone call themselves a philosopher and through their very existence bring a mockery to the science of thought...

A while back when Cray super-computers were the best thing around...a scientist was able to use all of the computing power of a network of Crays without interfering with any of the other work being done with them...HOW? 

He realized that the computational power being used was always in the binary pulses of the clock.  What the rest of the world had missed is that a binary pulse is the movement from 0 to +1 and them it resets from +1 to 0 to do the next calculation.  He began computing in the nulls or voids.  There was an entire world of computation available to him...and he tapped it...if I remember correctly...he used that available resource to calculate "pi" to some extraordinary level of accuracy...that broke some new frontiers for physicists...

That scientist was able to tap into an entire world of computational power because he was not blinded by "fact."  He as able to see the world of the "nulls" and redefine computational power...that world existed before it was discovered...and remains in every PC today!

Before Columbus...(or whoever you want to believe) discovered the new world...it existed...

Many of the weather issues confronting Europe came from the new world...it was an unknown source...that didn't mean that Europe didn't have weather before the discovery of the new world...

Using that prior pseudo-philosophers argument...since we can never calculate "Pi" to its final number...it doesn't exist...

This is not the logic of a philosopher...let alone a 21st century philosopher!

It was a sad case a VERY narrow and works toward a pre-supposed conclusion, rather than looking at the world and learning new things from what we know...

My thought...

One of the characteristics that I see missing from most people that are competing for the 21st Century Philosopher title...is the perspective of Global Citizenship or Responsibility...

We still live in an age that demands global responsibility from its allies and diplomatically handles its enemies.  The laws are rather obscure and non-conformance to them leads to actions that are punitive in nature...monetary sanctions...and ultimately war...

There is no basic and immutable set of global responsibilities.

More so is the lack of recognition that we have progressed beyond simple reward/punishment reactions.

Absolute Determinism

The 21st century philosopher must take into account discoveries from the sciences to ensure a relevant scheme.  It was much more simple to create a philosophical school when the world was narrow and infantile.  Our knowledge of the world around us has become broader and deeper...that puts an entirely new standard on any epistemology.

The simple concept of cause/effect and the discoveries in physics and cosmology along with the human genome project and psychology put philosophy into and entirely new context.  One that is essential to continuous improvement of our society and a step towards future existence...

Consider that fact that all causes and effects determine the physical world as we know it and that there is no other option.

"It is what it is..." becomes a fact...

Since the motion of matter at the moment of creation...there was no other set of options...

Anything that "Matters" (pun somewhat intended) was predetermined...

We delude ourselves into believing that there are options...  

Our present is totally determined by the past...and the future by a combination of the past and the present...

The 21st century philosophy must account for the fact that we are where we at because of the almost infinite chain of cause and effect from the past...

That chain is no isolated and independent....but globally large!

Some of the interactions that created one's make-up may have occurred galaxies away...

The materials within our bodies were created within stars...long dead!

Those atoms made their way into our solar system and on to the earth...and then into your body...

The global awareness...in fact universal awareness...is critical...

Our actions and reactions can affect others continents away...in fact...millions of years from now...perhaps life on some other planet!

We are caught within a chain of cause and effect...

Freewill?

I do not know...

I can make a case either way...

I do not know if it matters...as long as the decisions that are made are the right ones...

The 21st century philosophy should be less focused upon whether or not freewill exists and more focused upon making the right choices...which I believe are really the only thing a person has an obligation to do...