Because there is no explanation for it- no evidence. It is a mere belief that you and others have. It is similar to belief in God. There is little a believer can do to convince an atheist or agnostic. Whatever a believer does or says can never prove ant more than that they believe in God. There is no proof that God exists; some people happen to believe that she does. Similarly with the belief in free will. There is no proof that it exists and all we have is tatements of belief from true believers- not proof, merely witnessing.
Seriously, if you don’t want to read his book, just listen to Sam Harris’s lecture. It’s almost word-for-word the same content and it’s free.
A choice and free will are NOT the same thing.
But you cannot counter the true scientific opinion- we do not know if free will exists. It may, but there is no proof of it. It is merely a matter of belief like a religion.
It is easy to prove. Go get a box of cheerios, a box of corn flakes, a box of raisin bran. CHOOSE which one you want to eat. If you don’t like those three CHOOSE three other ones. Or CHOOSE bacon. Or CHOOSE not to eat. CHOOSE to eat later. CHOOSE not to respond to me. CHOOSE to respond seven more times. I think you will find that any one of these choices, you are capable of doing.
i’ve seen the lecture
if you are free to choose they are. if you have a gun to your head they are not.
what i dont know is why you are so keen to deny the existence of free will. it is rather obvious, i think, why i want to believe we have it.
But you cannot counter the true scientific opinion- we do not know if free will exists. It may, but there is no proof of it. It is merely a matter of belief like a religion.
CAN YOU NOT READ ENGLISH?
I do not deny free will. I say there is no proof that it exists. It may exist but no-one has provided any scientific evidence that it does exist.
If you had a choice in the choice you choose you have free will.
Maybe its just choices all the way down.
well for someone who doesnt deny it you sure spend a lot of time arguing against it 
Repeatedly I have posted cites and sources. I have pointed to the fields of psychology and neuroscience, which are wrife with millions of examples of how little conscious control we have over ourselves. And I have also given you my own personal account, as someone with a so-called quirky brain. You, on the other hand, have not offered up an iota of evidence that free will exists. So no, the two of us are not just not trading opinions. I have facts to back me up. That you refuse to consider them is a whole 'nother issue. But the science is strong and it is aligned with what I have been saying.
And your last sentence is just freakin’ bizarre. We shouldn’t “choose” an opinion just because it makes us feel good inside. We should form an opinion based on the evidence we have in front of us. The evidence I have personally witnessed points to free will being one big-ass illusion. Unless I see evidence that challenges this in a compelling fashion, I am NOT going to form a different opinion. Maybe you possess the power to will yourself to have any opinion that gets you through the night, no matter how strange. But as someone who values her own intelligence, I just can’t do this.
ok, you are new to the debate. please tell me why you think there is a significant difference between choice and free will, if, you admit choice exists.
well, i know i can go find three types of food i like to eat and then choose which one i want to eat. or eat all three. if that somehow is not good enough for you, well, we are never going to agree. you could have a 100 scientists say different, but i know at the end of the day i can choose what food i put in my mouth. the fact that i can do so would be what, a fact???
But if your choice is ultimately determined by past experience and current brain state such that, given perfect knowledge of such, a third party could predict your choice with 100% accuracy can you be said to have free will? If choice is truly governed this way and if given the exact same stimuli the choice is always the same in what way can the choice be said to be free? From the perspective of the choice maker how could it be differentiated from free will?
Let me try to explain.
A computer makes a decision
A collapsing wave form makes a decision
A spun coin makes a decision
A bagatelle makes a decision
A thermostat makes a decision
A dog makes a decision.
A human makes a decision.
All without free will being necessary.
Choice is a decision with a mental element and implies Free Will- which is an unproven suggestion for explaining human behaviour.
A choice is an action.
Free will or the lack of it is about the mechanics and past history that results in that action.
You seem to be arguing that we have free will because it appears to you that you have a choice.
And there’s the problem. Illusions make things appear as they are not.
For that matter, is free will actually well defined?
This is like arguing with a creationist!
Sorryto disagreee. Formally in Philosophy a Choice is a decision made with Free Will. Let us use decision for deciding alternatives neutrally and leave choice meaning free will. But do not let libertarians ensnare you in defending “choice”- insist of the word “decision”