Determinism vs. Free Will? (Part Two)

My second question as to whether our paths are defined by "natural dispositions and DNA" and if control over destiny is a "myth" stands as the classic philosophical conflict between Determinism and Free Will. If we begin with the deterministic argument (our DNA as the guide), this view suggests that our fundamental satisfaction with a tumultuous life is rooted in our natural disposition. 

Research in behavioral genetics suggests that traits like novelty-seeking, risk-taking, and introversion/extraversion have a strong heritable component (they are in our DNA). Based on this, our preference for the "tumultuous life" may be as innate as our eye color. If a restless spirit is our nature, the "tumultuous life" is, paradoxically, our path of least psychological resistance and the most natural as well as the easiest way to achieve contentment.

 Conversely, the person who seeks routine is similarly following their innate path. If our core choices are defined by our nature at birth, then the path is largely predetermined, not by fate, but by biology. Then comes the case controlling our destiny. While biology sets the stage for possible behaviors, the choices we make within that range and the effort needed to have the life we seek is where our control resides. 

Yesterday, I started by saying that my character and personality made me pick the “tumultuous life." Even if my personality is 90% determined, the act of choosing one path over another remains a conscious act of self-definition. The belief in a "full life" becomes a guiding narrative that we actively sustain. 

Many modern philosophers and psychologists adopt a view called “Compatibilism”, which suggests that free will and determinism can coexist. My temperament predisposed me to the tumultuous life, but my conscious choice to embrace it and the ongoing effort to manage its consequences is clearly the manifestation of my free will. 

Obviously, my own satisfaction is the ultimate measure of the wisdom of my choice. The true "case for living a full life" is that the fullest life is the one most aligned with one's authentic self. The right path is not one path, but the one defined by the unique mixture of my DNA, character, and conscious commitment. For me, the wisdom of choosing the tumultuous life is not a myth, but a reality, because it is the one I chose to follow. 

Do you agree?