I had this epiphany the other day that everything about life, and even more so: everything about human activities is deeply based on feedback loops.
It starts with natural evolution (including sexual selection) where the evolution and shaping of the species is refined generation after generation based on positive and negative feedback loops from the environment and from peers.
Then, there is so much about human psychology and sociology where ideas and behaviors are reinforced or subdued through feedback loops.
Not to mention the global economy, markets, consumption and speculation that are massively driven by feedback loops…
So, what’s left to pure, unbiased free will? Arts? Love? Thoughts? I don’t think so. It’s pretty easy to find feedback loops in all of these too!!
This doesn’t mean that everything about today is a direct result of what happened yesterday; there are still external stimuli that enter the system at any (random) time, but still… what is the external stimulus allowing for unconditioned thoughts?