Among the most shocking facts that have come out in the Dual Realities: The Illusion and Reality of Free Will is the fact that a great part of our choices is made way before we are even aware of it. We would like to think we deliberate every moment of the day, weighing and taking choices, thinking about them, and making them. However, neuroscience and psychology in the present days give a completely different picture one where we have hidden forces that govern our behaviors but consciousness comes later to get the credits.
The core of this phenomenon is inclination of the brain to work on the automatic processes. The book brings out the revolutionary research indicating that the brain activity that signifies a choice happens several milliseconds before one becomes conscious of the decision-making. The implication of this is that the brain is usually preconditioned with a course of action even before the conscious mind begins to bring up the subject. Consciousness then justifies the choice that gives us the falsehood of comfort that we made choices deliberately.
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Habits are also influential in decision-making which is not intentional. When a behavior becomes habitual then the brain redirects it to automatic circuits so as to save energy. It can be grabbing the phone when bored, having the same breakfast every morning, responding defensively to an argument, and all these reactions are usually not conscious. This book describes the process of forming these habits due to repetition and reinforcement with the formation of neural tracks that can be used easily.
The other unseen power that affects our decisions is emotional triggers. The book further describes how emotions work exponentially quicker than the logical thinking, and they tend to guide people in some minute yet significant ways. As an illustration, we may avoid something before we even mentally perceive the threat, and this is due to fear. Stress will make us eat impulsively or yell at someone we love. Happiness may give rise to generosity under spontaneous conditions. These emotional urges are the result of brain designs that have been evolved to react fast to ensure survival, and the conscious thoughts would follow later.
Cognitive biases also blur our decision-making capacity to make completely conscious judgments. This book illuminates confirmation bias, framing, and anchoring which are all mental shortcuts that influence our perception of information. These prejudices are automatic, selective of what we attend to or retention or conviction. Whenever a person is conforming to the same view, makes decisions without fully understanding the case, or perceives the information in a manner that finally reinforces his or her existing beliefs, the person is likely to be oblivious of the bias that is dictating their actions.
The social and environmental cues also play an important role in unconscious decision-making. The book highlights the influence of cultural conditioning and the societal expectations on choices as well as subtle cues in the environment. The individuals adjust according to group actions, imitate the opinions around them and react to stimuli, such as music, lamps, or adverts without realizing the outside impact. These less obvious forces form a background as a result of which choices are made, and these choices may or may not be realized consciously. When they are making the choice they think is free, it is possible that they are being reacted to social forces that are not visible.
Although this is a complex system of subconscious influences, Daniel E. Ansel does not claim that free will is meaningless. Rather, it puts forth the concept that self-understanding has the power to broaden our conscious will. The wisdom is presented as an essential weapon of breaking automatic patterns. When people start thinking of their triggers, habitual beliefs and biases, they can learn to challenge them before being acted upon.
In conclusion, Dual Realities: The Illusion and Reality of Free Will brings out the revelation that we make decisions unconsciously or without even thinking about them since the mind is programmed to work efficiently, emotionally, and automatically. We have the ability to control these processes in a better way by knowing about them and knowing them. The riddle of the way we do things unconsciously turns into an invitation not to lament the boundaries of free will, but to enrich our understanding and increase the freedom that we have.