[trabant00]

> What will keep people--resigned to their fate--from plopping on the couch to wait it out, as opposed to attempting somethin

I don't think this is how it works from my observations. People don't decide to couch it out based on their philosophy or the expected outcome. They may rationalize it that way but what I believe is that based on their experiences so far some people are simply driven to go out and do stuff and others don't want to do anything mostly.

And my belief is compatible with the "no free will" theory.