your choice?

Plotinus, mystic and philosopher, said this:

"no man of intelligence will venture to express his philosophical views in language, especially not in language that is unchangeable, which is true of that which is set down in written characters."
(quoted from Hines, Brian (2009-01-01). 'Return to the One',  Adrasteia Publishing.)

Nevertheless, I am ignoring his advice (or perhaps I am not a man of intelligence?  It can be said that a blog is not so unchangeable as writing on paper, though.)

Do we have a choice of what to do in any situation?  Can we decide, freely, taking into account all relevant circumstances, what to have for dinner?

I believe it is well established that our idea of ourselves as individuals is an illusion, best got rid of.  Those who have apparently succeeded in getting rid of it, or who have involuntarily found themselves free of it - as sometimes happens, or perhaps we should say, as is really always the case - are living far happier, more carefree lives than the vast majority of us still saddled with a "personality."

Let's assume it's true that individual personality is an illusion.  If there is no individual, there can be no choices, since to make a choice there must be an individual to make it.

It follows that if we are not really individuals, there is no such thing as free will.  You never decided what to have for dinner or which school your child should go to: it just happened.

Those who have discovered that they don't exist as individuals seem to be saying this, too: life is not your choice, and never can be.  It just happens.  It doesn't happen to you, since there is no "you" to happen to.  It just only ... happens.