[zikzak]

One thing I use to help to understand this: when you watch a movie you nothing about, there are things in it that surprise you, delight you, and seem new despite the fact that the movie was made long before.

I feel a consequence of determinism is that time is a matter of perception. Something we use to understand our environment. But, really, we are players in a movie that we are also watching.

The feeling of deciding is no different than the feeling of coercion. It's centered around ego. We evolved to feel like we make decisions. That's it, that's all. The deciding, though, is done.

Another example. I play for my son movies featuring pizza. I ask if he remembers how good the pizza was last weekend. I suggest we have it for lunch but find we are out of leftover pizza.

Is it free will when he asks for pizza for dinner? Or did his environment make that choice inevitable?