Do we have a choice in what we think or believe?

[McCulloch]

Do we have a choice in what we think or believe?
Can we chose to believe differently than we do?

[Baz]

I find the whole subject about what individuals and societies believe fascinating.
What I think is a contradiction; keeping an open mind and holding on to a specific belief.
I try to be open minded but even if I except that I can now nothing for certain there comes a point when I have to say to myself this will do for now, or I just couldn’t function.

Is it just me or dose anybody else have this problem.

[Cathar1950]

Do we have a choice in what we think or believe?
Can we chose to believe differently than we do?

I tend to think it is fairly involuntary and subject to experiences which help form our beliefs and social pressures such as group think and peer pressure as well as rationalizations and other relief from cognitive dissonance.

[Titiksha]

Do we have a choice in what we think or believe?
Can we chose to believe differently than we do?

We do have choice to think differently only if we are able to do so. But it is very difficult to have a brain that would think like no one has thought before. But if you are asking here that whether we will be approved for thinking differently, then I'd suggest you to believe the way your mind works...one can never find the whole world to approve over a thing altogether. Don't forget that great things and great thoughts have to face controversies, contradictions and disbelieves. That means we are allowed to think differently, only and only if we have ability to do so.

[sarabellum]

Probably not...
Hard for me to say for sure...

Beliefs often "manifest" in my life in an illogical way...

For instance as a child the sight of an avocado would make me gag...
My mom forced me to eat some on a sandwich once and I threw up...

At the same time...

I liked guacamole as a child...
I was unaware that it was made with avocado...
It would not make me throw up...
Its was yummy...

I thought I hated avocados...
Complete with physical response and everything...
It turns out at the same time I was also a big fan of avocados if I didn't "know" I was eating them......

Well eventually word trickled down to me that guacamole is avocado...

Now I eat avocados?

(I just confused myself!)

Hopefully I didn't choose to like and hate avocados at the same time?

[Adamoriens]

Do we have a choice in what we think or believe?
Can we chose to believe differently than we do?

Does libertarian free will even make sense?

[Filthy Tugboat]

Do we have a choice in what we think or believe?
Can we chose to believe differently than we do?

We do have choice to think differently only if we are able to do so.

What does this mean? How can one be able to choose to think differently than they currently do? In order to make the decision to think differently, must they already have the thought processes in mind?

But it is very difficult to have a brain that would think like no one has thought before.

How so? I would have thought the brain was formed by our genetic structure, not by choice or anything that could relate to the term "difficult."

But if you are asking here that whether we will be approved for thinking differently, then I'd suggest you to believe the way your mind works...one can never find the whole world to approve over a thing altogether. Don't forget that great things and great thoughts have to face controversies, contradictions and disbelieves. That means we are allowed to think differently, only and only if we have ability to do so.

I don't think this is what the OP was asking.