Free Will, Purpose and Money

I have wondered this countless times in my mind

Do we really have a free will?

Or are we just prisoners of fate, circumstances and time?

Are we like a fish trapped in water?

Which doesn't seem to be able to see beyond its perceived reality

If everything is predestined

Then what is our purpose?

Is it money, status, fame, to love, to procreate?

Or we are here just to fart around as Kurt Vonnegut claimed

If it is not predestined

Then why do we choose to fake over being authentic?

Then why do we choose to be in shackles over being free?

Then why do we choose competition over cooperation?

Then why do we choose to lie over speaking the truth?

Then why do we choose things over people?

Then why do we choose hatred over love?

Then why do we choose apathy over empathy?

Then why do we choose war over peace?

Then why do we choose blind faith over critical questioning?

Then why do we choose money over humans?

Let's talk about money if we dare to

Isn't money just a social construct created by us?

Our species predates money

It is not an absolute reality like nature

In a way, aren't we our own en-slavers?

Haven't we created our own carrot to run after?

Haven't we created our own simulation?

But then it begs the question

Why did we do it?

My best guess is we were bored of emptiness and meaninglessness of our existence

It takes effort to find meaning and purpose

In this vast universe born out of nothingness

We got tired of exploration and settled for an easy fix-up

We were hurt to know we are not the center of the universe

Our inflated egos couldn't fathom it

Instead of admiring being part of something bigger than us

Instead of seeing the bigger picture

We settled for shifting the center

Created our own origin and coordinate system

We designed our own beliefs and rules

We designed right and wrong

We designed a society of control and exploitation

We designed things and ways to control 

We designed divisions of race, color, religion, caste, border

With money as the big carrot 

A reward for our unfazed obedience

While disobedience treated with contempt and punishment

Sadly, it is not possible to take the reward to afterlife if there is such thing

In the end

Again it will take effort and intent to admit our wrongness and mistakes

If we dare to pause, think and will

Then only we can envision a better world

A world based on empathy and compassion

A world based on love and cooperation

A world based on truth and peace

A world of exploration

A world in the arms of nature

A world devoid of oppressive rules and divisions

A world for everyone not just a few

A world where we are truly free

A world which we will be truly proud of

A world with a higher purpose

Then again we would have to believe that we have free will for it

And I leave it to you to answer the question that is

Do we have free will?