We often get so used to rewards and positive outcomes that increasingly as we age, we start getting more uncomfortable with new situations and uncertain outcomes, leaving no stone unturned to make sure that every part of your life has some reasonable amount of predictability. With time this leads to a decreasing risk-taking ability and increasing anticipation of positive outcomes that we tend to work towards alleviating uncertainty at any cost.
Imagine if any human's life could be a hundred percent determinable—it would be so boring. While I haven't experienced that yet, I can foresee that it will not feel any different than living in a simulation and thereby not feel any different to not living at all. I mean, at the end of the day, the dual nature of matter did keep physics interesting.
Or so seems to be my very personal take on it, which is why growing up I could also never replay the same video game again after finishing because I just knew all the twists and turns and the exact stage at which I would have to exterminate the enemy. Replaying didn't even have a fraction of the excitement compared to the first run. And hence, when it comes to free will and uncertainty, correlation seems to be causation in this case, and the only way to live as per free will is to not be able to correctly predict every single thing that is to come in your future—so you can respond (take action) to things and thus exert control.
Out of which arises a paradox: We often feel anxious when we cannot pre-determine or control the outcome of things, and in worse cases, we imagine what would happen if doomsday hits—i.e., if the outcome turns out to be negative. But imagine having everything laid out in front of you—every scenario pre-determined, hence every choice pre-made. It would be as if you have no control at all, as there is nothing to influence.
Truly experiencing something has to involve an element of direction, that which makes you the protagonist or player.
Fondly remembering when in school teachers would often say—if you can't find the solution to a problem, take it to sleep. I liked how she projected it as something seemingly plausible, while ever since I have been an adult, I have only seen people around me over-index on certain outcomes and shaming the unknowns.
Don't shame the unknown variables.