The Free Will Fallacy

Hard determinism, the idea that free will is a fallacy, is the ideal which I most align. From birth, conditioning occurs, and it is hard to deny that the events at a young age shape the people we become. Many people in jail have suffered from physical to emotional abuse to a lack of opportunity or education. Not to make an excuse but instead, understand the human condition. Rather than punish those who have offended, rehabilitation in the form of therapy, rehab stays, and higher education would make for much better outcomes.
Most of those who are religious have experienced religious conditioning to believe what they do. Most don’t learn about all religions or atheism and are allowed to choose what they think. Instead, many learn not to question but to follow blindly.
Quite a few people who did not get the vaccine did not research and come to their own conclusion but instead were influenced by the news station they watched. Our data wouldn’t be as valuable if we weren’t affected by advertisements. Conditioning is a real thing, and most people have no idea just how deeply embedded in them it is.
Michael Pollan wrote a book called “How to Change your Mind.” It discussed the use of psychedelics and how many become stuck in a mold of beliefs as we age. The use of psychedelics can break that mold and allow for new eyes through which we see the world.
Mental illness such as schizophrenia or mental breaks can cause people to act irrationally. Traumatic brain injuries have caused aggression, and the Tower shooter had a brain tumor that some think might have caused him to kill.
These are just a few ideas that have led me to believe that free will doesn’t exist. Although I do think the concept of free will can be beneficial.