Yes, indeed, we don’t always have conscious control over the same set of things over which we intuitively believe we have conscious control. That’s the foundation of (among other things) the difference between System 1 and System 2 in the biases literature. It’s also (as Kaj_Sotala noted) one reason habit is such a powerful influence on human behaviour, and the reason things like drug addiction exist. But how could it be any other way? Brains aren’t made of magical-consciousness-stuff, they’re physical, modular, evolved entities in a species descended from lizards.
I’d be interested in hearing more about the methods you’ve found effective for noticing the semiconscious decisions that you’re making and how you’ve evaluated their effectiveness.
Yes, indeed, we don’t always have conscious control over the same set of things over which we intuitively believe we have conscious control. That’s the foundation of (among other things) the difference between System 1 and System 2 in the biases literature. It’s also (as Kaj_Sotala noted) one reason habit is such a powerful influence on human behaviour, and the reason things like drug addiction exist. But how could it be any other way? Brains aren’t made of magical-consciousness-stuff, they’re physical, modular, evolved entities in a species descended from lizards.
I’d be interested in hearing more about the methods you’ve found effective for noticing the semiconscious decisions that you’re making and how you’ve evaluated their effectiveness.