Before epilepsy was understood to be a neurological condition, people believed it was caused by the moon, or by phlegm in the brain. They condemned seizures as evidence of witchcraft or demonic possession, and killed or castrated sufferers to prevent them from passing tainted blood to a new generation.
I’ve long held the belief that each of us ought to act as if we have free will even though we probably don’t. I doubt we’d get much done if we spent all our time thinking, “OH, I was fated to be this way” instead of deciding to work harder for our goals.
Every great mind, star athlete, and general over-achiever motivated themselves to improve their talents. They say so in interviews, books, and things like commencement speeches. I’m sure that there are people who would never get as far as the famous greats despite trying just as hard – be it circumstance, genetic differences, nutrition, luck, or what have you – but those who try still end up more skilled than those who don’t.
More importantly, I have renewed hope that perhaps we might have free will after learning that the universe is not locally real! Sure, our brain chemistry may still be fixed to react in one way or another, but what if we or something else can alter or diverge from the course set by our own chemistry through means we’ve not yet discovered?