The debate over free will has raged on for centuries, with philosophers, scientists, and psychologists all weighing in on whether humans truly control their choices or if everything is predetermined. Joe Rogan recently added his voice to the discussion, offering a nuanced take that pushes back against the idea that free will is completely nonexistent.
On his Joe Rogan Experience podcast #2243, the UFC commentator referenced neurologist Robert Sapolsky, who claims that free will is one of the most “preposterous concepts” humans still believe in. “Sapolsky makes the argument that that’s going to be one of the things that we look back on in the future as being one of the most preposterous concepts that people attach themselves to—the concept of free will.” Why? Because according to him, it is all shaped by past experiences, genetics, and biology.
But while the JRE host admits the importance of biology, genetics, and past experiences in decision-making, he feels that completely ignoring free will is a mistake. “I think it’s foolish to dismiss this idea that you have no free will.” But why? Well, Joe Rogan argues that people are capable of recognizing their past mistakes and making different choices, which suggests that some level of agency exists. “There’s something that guides you in a particular direction that you don’t necessarily always go with. So what is that? Is that pure determinism? Sometimes you make mistakes, and you recognize you made those mistakes, and you recalibrate.”
Well, it looks like Joe Rogan finds himself somewhere in the middle of the debate as evident in the video. While the UFC commentator acknowledges that, while external forces influence human actions, he is also of the opinion that the sense of choice remains real. But from what we have seen so far, whether free will is an illusion or not, this is a debate that is unlikely to be resolved soon. But it is worth noting that the JRE host recently mentioned an instance where it seemed like Dana White acted on free will.
Joe Rogan reveals Dana White stopped the UFC from abandoning $10.2M UFC event
UFC 311 was definitely one of the most anticipated events of 2025, but fans surely had major doubts about whether it would even happen. With devastating wildfires blazing throughout California, there were concerns about organizing the event at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. According to Joe Rogan, the UFC was considering canceling or moving the event to Las Vegas. However, the head honcho intervened and decided to proceed.
But why? Well, that’s a case of free will now. On his podcast with comic Brian Simpson, Joe Rogan stated that White decided to leave the decision on an odd source—the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers. Dana White had informed the UFC commentator that if the Clippers played their scheduled game at the venue earlier that week, UFC 311 would proceed as planned. If not, then they would relocate everything to Las Vegas. Fortunately for fight fans, the Clippers played, and the UFC also decided to follow its schedule.
He said, “We did the UFC there; we did the UFC like in the middle of the fires. I didn’t think we were going to do it. I was like, are we going to do it here? And Dana was like, We’re going to do it. The Clippers are going to play there on, I forget what day, but earlier in the week. And if the Clippers play, we’re going to do it.” Well, that’s definitely a move that cannot be inspired by any past events. After all, it was a decision that can be called one of the most absurd. But what do you think about the free will debate? Do you believe it exists? Let us know in the comments.
The post “It’s Very Foolish… You Make Mistakes”- Joe Rogan Drops Bold Verdict on Free Will’s Preposterous Concept appeared first on EssentiallySports.
