Can You Force Someone To Live The Way You Want Them To?

[lindatucker]

 ::)You can not force anybody to live their life the way you want them to. They have a choice to live the way they choose to.

[ancmetro]

          A good friend once told: "You cannot change people...only they can charge their way of thinking and life style". And recommended me "to mind my own business". I think he was right!

[annettefayeroach]

no

[ptfunds]

If you think about the enormous about of life experiences that make up each one of us then it becomes quite obvious that no one person can determine what is best for another.  We each have different goals and desires to satisfy our individual desires.  What is the right path for one can not possibly be the right path for everyone.  I

[cloudsoup]

agreed 

[automagicashie]

If you think about the enormous about of life experiences that make up each one of us then it becomes quite obvious that no one person can determine what is best for another.  We each have different goals and desires to satisfy our individual desires.  What is the right path for one can not possibly be the right path for everyone.  I

This hits the nail on the head. You're ABSOLUTELY right! It's hard enough to be able to figure Life out for ourselves, not to mention others!! 

[CharmedPhoenix]

Absolutely right, we all have free will.  We cannot and should not control the way anyone else lives.  We can only change ourselves, not anyone else. 

[sherryinutah]

::)You can not force anybody to live their life the way you want them to. They have a choice to live the way they choose to.

Only if you're holding a gun to their head.  Even then...they would probably prefer to be shot.

Seriously...though.  I believe people are intuitively aware that they are entitled to the sense of freedom that comes from making their own choices and deciding how and when they will grow.  Trying to change someone is a sure way of ending a healthy relationship.

[amstewart]

No, but you can have an influence.  I have many family members with addictions of different sorts and have wanted to help them see the wrong in their ways.  Unfortunately, I wasn't able to change them.  However, I have found Al-Anon which helps me learn how to take care of myself regardless of what they are doing.  I do feel that the changes that I make influence them without me saying anything.  The way I choose to live my life is a light to them to follow if they choose to.  Thank goodness for support groups of all kinds, there is strength in numbers!

[ajann1983]

no you can not force anyone to live the way you want them to live. you can influence and make suggestions but that person is the one that has to make the decision to better his life and make changes. if they make changes because someone made them, then they will more than likely not follow through with it for the long haul.

[diala84]

The keyword is "force", some people you have power over and can "force" them to do things but like you said it doesn't change their nature and they will hate you in the end for trying to change them.

[sommap]

The Alanon theory about changing yourself and how you deal with someone with an addiction sometimes helps make a change. 

[lvstephanie]

It's very difficult to do so, esp. without the threat of physical force or violence. I think this is actually a difficult concept for many politicians to grasp. For example, Hillary Clinton has made several remarks concerning allowing people to spend their own money vs. the government forcing people to spend their money in the way that she (or her party) desires:

"We just can't trust the American people to make those types of choices…. Government has to make those choices for people"
(From the book "I've Always Been A Yankee Fan" by Thomas D. Kuiper, p 20 - Hillary to Rep. Dennis Hastert in 1993 discussing her taxpayer-funded health care plan)

A case against President Obama's current health-care plan will be listened to by the Supreme Court for the fact that it requires all citizens to purchase health insurance or be fined / imprisoned. The opposition contests that the government has no right to force a person to purchase anything merely for being a citizen (ie forcing someone to live a certain way that the politician sees fit).

And this isn't just reserved to one side of the political spectrum. Conservatives (esp. Christian conservatives) want to force people to live with the morals of their faith, including the criminalization of abortion, pornography, even tighter restrictions on legal drugs like alcohol and tobacco.

I think for politicians, it is easier to force someone to do something since they are backed by, at most, the might of the US military. They can create laws and use the might of law enforcement to force people to abide by those laws. That is why the citizens need to remain vigilant against intrusions on our freedoms to live the way we want to live.

[Tresbn00]

Why would you want to? Unless it is your children which are a product of the way that you brought them up.  If someone, other than your children, isn't living the way that you want them to than you need to adapt to their ways, leave them, ask them to leave, or ignore them.  Why waste valuable time on changing others?  Life is to short to be a slave to unhappiness created at the hands of someone who's behavior is making you unhappy...unless you choose to martyr yourself for a cause.

[sdecaro558]

No, you can't.  One of the important things to learn in life is that you cannot change others, only yourself.