Think about a decision you made recently.
You considered your options. You made a choice. And you probably felt that the decision was yours.
But why did you choose that particular option?
Was it careful reasoning? A feeling you couldn't explain? A fear you didn't fully recognize? Or something you learned long before you ever faced that decision?
What if the influences behind your choices are not always visible to you?
In Episode 26 of WHAT WOULD YOU TRUST?, we explore free will, personal responsibility, and the hidden influences that shape the decisions we make.
Our past experiences, habits, fears, and beliefs can affect what feels natural, safe, or right. Sometimes, we recognize those influences. Other times, we simply follow a familiar instinct and assume we know exactly why we acted as we did.
But does being influenced mean that we aren't free to choose?
And if our decisions are shaped by experiences we never chose in the first place, where does our freedom begin?
Perhaps freedom doesn't mean being completely independent of every influence. Perhaps it begins when we learn to recognize those influences, question them, and decide which ones deserve to guide us.
Still, one difficult question remains.
When you make a decision and feel certain that it was your own, does that feeling prove that it was?
In this episode, we explore:
• The hidden influences behind everyday decisions
• How past experiences and habits shape what feels right
• The difference between influence and control
• Whether understanding our motives can change how we see ourselves
• What it means for a choice to truly belong to us
You don't need to doubt every decision you make. But occasionally, it may be worth asking why one possibility felt inevitable while another seemed impossible.
Because perhaps the most difficult question isn't whether you had a choice.
It's whether you understand the person who made it.
What do you think? Are your choices truly your own, or are they shaped by influences you may never fully recognize?
ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Did You Really Choose?
Season 1 · Episode 26 · Choice
WHAT WOULD YOU TRUST? is a psychological podcast by Jonah Whitmore exploring memory, identity, consciousness, trust, and choice through questions that challenge how we understand ourselves.
EXPLORE YOUR OWN MEMORIES
THE MEMORY INVESTIGATION
A Practical Workbook for Exploring Your Memories
By Jonah Whitmore
Your memories tell a story. Learn to examine it.
The goal isn't to assume that your memories are false. It's to look at them more thoughtfully.
Publica:
https://publica.now/creators/jonahwhitmore-author/works/the-memory-investigation-the-practical-workbook-for-exploring-your-memories
Payhip:
https://payhip.com/b/EfCj5
LISTEN TO WHAT WOULD YOU TRUST?
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/show/7qrqsjArnmJeOQdeGsJbxg
Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-would-you-trust/id6818862637
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/@NeonReflexLoop
BOOKS BY JONAH WHITMORE
Psychological science fiction, thrillers, and dark philosophical fiction exploring memory, identity, consciousness, trust, and choice.
THE MEMORY EDITOR — What if your memories were never yours?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHJ25SQ2
THE FIRST ARCHIVE — A psychological science-fiction thriller about memory, truth, and what remains after something has been erased.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HHHHGBQ2
THE LAST ARCHIVE — Some secrets are buried. Others are preserved.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HJ24CPP1
THE UNCHOSEN — A psychological thriller about choice, identity, and the lives we never intended to live.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HJCYXRRY
THE MEMORY THAT REMAINED — He remembers three years of his life. He doesn't remember his wife.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HJZH5RM7
Complete book catalog:
https://jonahwhitmore.wordpress.com/jonah-whitmore-books-official/
Author website:
https://jonahwhitmore.wordpress.com/
Written and created by Jonah Whitmore.
#WhatWouldYouTrust #FreeWill #Choice
