Does FREE WILL exist?

Yeah, that's a pretty common question. Are people really free? Is there such a thing as free will?

I came across a pretty challenging proposition. It looks into mental conditioning as the source for all our choices. People who believe in this think that every act a person does had been conditioned by past upbringing, an experience or lesson learned. It sounds slightly convincing, if you completely ignore the fact that identical twins with absolutely the same upbringing can have very stark differences. Face it, although "mental conditioning" does exist, so does freedom which creates any such conditioning - including the way it is interpreted into our actions in the future.

But then again, are we really free?

Here's a question... If I only had a hundred bucks and I chose to spend it on a hundred buck bag of Cheddar Cheese Ruffles, why is it that I can't also buy the Sourcream and Onion? Why is it that when I decide to marry Michelle, I can't marry Christine? Why is it that if I decide to take the Management Training at Johnson & Johnson this June, I'd have to give up continuing my masters program?

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