False impression

"You're giving people--us--way too much credit for being aware of our own behavior, and the causes underlying our behavior." I never said anything about awareness. I said that behavior is shaped by consequences. It is a common misunderstanding that such a process requires awareness. If anything, my argument was that rational behavior is the product of the environment instead of anything originating in the brain. The brain just looks for patterns in the environment regardless of how rational or irrational they are. And while we can consciously use language to simulate rationality, implementing that conscious rationality is not something that people can do very reliably in a vacuum. As for "instinct," those are just reflexes like cravings or emotions. Their relationship to goal-oriented behavior can be complicated, but ultimately they still have to operate with regard to consequences mediated by the environment.