Illusion of Control

Hey kiddos.
I was considering a topic that was mentioned earlier in this blog. See, this is a big deal that deserves much more attention than a mere paragraph. This is a big deal that deserves two paragraphs.
My dad once told me that nobody does anything without a reason. I tried to prove otherwise by spastically flailing my arms and cavorting around. Then, and not a second too late, I realized that my reason for doing so was simply to prove my father's statement wrong. Still, throughout the rest of my childhood I would occasionally break out into tiny little fits of spontaneous movement to get a snap at that statement.

Why, exactly, is it impossible for people to do things without a reason? I know why.
People are able to make decisions, but the outcome of the decision-making process doesn't depend on will. According to a medical magazine article that I've read, it's been proven. Let me elaborate on that; You don't choose to eat a dead sandwich because you want to. You choose to eat the dead sandwich because you're hungry. You might want to eat the sandwich because it tastes good, but you never choose to eat the sandwich because you want to eat the sandwich.

Therefore, you really don't have much control over the choices that you make. It might seem like you do, but no matter what you want to choose (which would usually agree to your decision anyways, giving you to illusion of control), you'll still make the same choice. So if we don't have control over our decisions, why even try? Beats me.

Decisions are merely reactions, so why are reactions different from different people? Sure, heredity has something to do with it, but if decision-making is eliminated, what else is there that shapes us as individuals? Experience? This is best saved, however, for a different discussion at a different time.