[hmkpoker]

It's simpler than that.

I think that to say things are "pre-determined" is misleading. I don't believe any conscious force (at least, nothing that would be comparable to our mind) created the world with the intent of me ending up here at my computer drinking a Dr. Pepper. Determinism is just a simple acknowledgement of causes and effects, and that although our conscious will is a major cause of many things, the desires, emotions and mechanics of it have causal roots.

Regardless, we can't predict what's going to happen perfectly. We just can't. We don't have the tools, and we probably never will. In fact, quantum physics makes an argument for chaos (I don't quite understand it, but I'm open to the possibility), so perfect prediction may be impossible even in theory.

Life is a lot like reading a book, imho. The ending may already be determined, but you don't know what it is, so what difference does it make? It's still packed with excitement and intrigue just the same.

I've just studied too much about psychology to believe that the interplay between neuron networks are somehow governed by a magical "force" that is somehow exempt from causality, and functions in a manner that is neither deterministic nor completely random. The existing model provides excellent reason to believe that the conscious result of the brain's deterministic function would create an effective, thinking ego that believes it to be exempt from causality. I see no reason to believe otherwise, and I see no reason why determinism should get someone down.