Higher cortical areas seem to mostly have an inhibitory function. Activation of higher cortical areas seems to allow people to PREVENT acting on urges. If one can prevent acting on urges then one can weigh through the pros and cons of different options before making a (more) informed response (rather than reaction).

Some people think that this capacity to inhibit urges and then think through different options is the seat our our free will. That making a free choice just is making an 'all things considered' choice.

There is stuff (very speculative) on how attention (aka: the power of 'mental force') collapses the wave function. That is to say that the higher cortical areas are in a fairly distributed state of activation and that consciously focusing ones attention on an urge while inhibiting action is what collapses the wave function and throws certain states of thinking through pros and cons (aka certain cortical pathways) into action. This is very controversial... But if it is right...

how bout getting off these antibiotics
how bout stopping eating when I'm full up
how bout them transparent dangling carrots
how bout that ever elusive kudo

thank you india
thank you terror
thank you disillusionment
thank you frailty
thank you consequence
thank you thank you silence

how bout me not blaming you for everything
how bout me enjoying the moment for once
how bout how good it feels to finally forgive you
how bout grieving it all one at a time

thank you india
thank you terror
thank you disillusionment
thank you frailty
thank you consequence
thank you thank you silence

the moment I let go of it was the moment
I got more than I could handle
the moment I jumped off of it
was the moment I touched down

how bout no longer being masochistic
how bout remembering your divinity
how bout unabashedly bawling your eyes out
how bout not equating death with stopping

thank you india
thank you providence
thank you disillusionment
thank you nothingness
thank you clarity
thank you thank you silence

(alanis morrissette 'thank you')