If you don't feel like reading this, just skip to the question below the break.

Recently I have been thinking a lot about this, and I would like to see what others thoughts are on the topic.

I feel that humans have greatly less control over themselves then they think they do, me included. I think that who we become is 90% genetic and 10% external influences.
I believe that it is our emotions that dictate our doings and that its our brains electro-chemical reactions that dictate our emotions.
I have noticed that many of the things I do, or almost all the things I do are done sub consciously (Take note of how you are sitting right now, of the position of your limbs and such, did you consciously decide all those tings?).
Take a conversation for instance, I noticed that I don't really choose what I say, I mean i can if i want to, but most the time the words someone says to me are processed sub-consciously and milliseconds later a well formed replay comes to my mind.
Also there is non-verbal communication that most people don't even realize is going on (or at least to the extent that it is.) Most communication between people happens non-verbally.

I know this skips around a bit and doesn't flow to well, but i didn't want to write 2 pages on my thoughts, as I am really after what others have to say.
So...
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Do we control our minds, or do our minds control us?

Since this is a science forum, scientific answers would be most favorable (Science doesn't recognize a human soul for example.)

Both. But since very little is known about how the brain or consciousness works, science does not have any firm answers to the question, it remains in the realm of philosophy for nwo.

I think it's a little bit of both in varying degrees from person to person...

For example how some people often act without ever even really thinking about the consequences of their actions. I'd say that their minds mostly control them.

If by 'control', you mean HMFIC of decision-making, then the mind controls us. Even having the illusion of control, such as when we decide that we're going to act one way even though we're feeling another way - is a little bit of smoke & mirrors *trick* of consciousness...

Some people would disagree with that or object otherwise.

Memetics is a considered a new "science" of the mind. It's not completely ironed out yet, but it gives some interesting models of how our minds operate and where the controls really are. So new, it's widely debated and damn near controversial in some circles.

I've also enjoyed anything the cognitive scientist Steven Pinker has ever written on the topic. How The Mind Works is his best, IMO.

You are 100% in control when you have a gun in your hand.

It's up to you, note: you're not just the brain or the body.

I think that who we become is 90% genetic and 10% external influences.



Im gonna have to stop you there. Who we become is greatly influenced by our surroundings, more so than 10%. Genetics have a great deal in our main functionality but what were taught is what we believe. look up the teapot theory

"We must believe in free will, we have no choice."

Do we control our minds, or do our minds control us?

we control our minds, THEN our minds control us. Unless your asking if our minds control themselves in which case i really doubt it, obviously we dont control our subconcious but if our minds "have a mind of their own" then what are we?

if you think im not making any sense, then im probably talking crap.

wow... thats like this guys whole post in a few words. again...wow, whoever made that quote is a phsycotic l33t hax0r of the human mind.