*I believe in free will because I don't see much benefit to
   believing in fate. Do I believe that many of our choices are
   constrained due to environment, biology, society and other
   limitations? Absolutely I do. But I believe this choice: to type
   paoetjpaw instead of "hi Raven", is mine. My will chose that.
   What help is it to me if I believe it was fate or pre-ordained
   by the Universe? If I do something wrong, however, no-free-will
   becomes "not-my-fault". This is a bad thing for society in its
   current state. You can scan someone's brain 'til the power runs
   out and you won't find what caused a murderer to kill their
   victim three months ago at 2:58pm. In short, it's currently not
   a good thing to promote a no-free-will stance. If you want to
   believe it *personally*, go ahead... but I don't see a benefit
   to society or to myself: even if this free will i think I have
   is illusionary and I'm instead pre-programmed by Time or Fate or
   God or Nature or the Cosmos to make every single choice I make
   in life...* ...believing I have no choice will CHANGE the
   results - quite dramatically so and not in a good way. Mind you,
   I _accept_ most things are out of my control. But: critically:
   *some* things are in my control. == A blip showing the thought
   originated before my conscious awareness of it took place
   doesn't invalidate free will.* You accept that as evidence, as
   an "is"? Go for it. Your choice. Unless you don't have a choice.
   I do. == *FREE WILL: The ability to make a choice between
   options or outside of options. Kenneth Udut's definition. ==
   You're presented with options a, b, c, d, e. Those are my
   choices. But i have choices beyond those choices. == It's a
   combination of factors. I'm not in control of it all. But that
   which is presented to me, plus a desire/will/whatever to go into
   a "whatever I feel like" direction, is mine. Is it fair or equal
   among peoples? I have no idea. == I don't assume universals. I
   can go by what "seems true enough" for me, fold in whatever
   evidence I find acceptable and believable and reasonable and
   say, "Seems true enough for me". But for me to declare "This is
   so for all"? I can't do that. I'm not in everybody's head. ==