His questions made me think too, and I am not sure my answer is as clear as it could be. Much of this is just me trying to explain how I understands what a thought is and how it interacts with perception (making an artwork). No one to my knowledge has defined what a thought is, and the original question could be answered without going into it, but there is a difference between an idea and the other things that goes on in your head.
Ideas can be explained to others. Thoughts on the other hand consist of the inner dialogue we have and including imaginary sounds and images and words. It is interesting that you think it thoughts are linked to choices... I think that you can imagine a thought that is not linked to a choice...
I will have to get back to this... Sunday. Tomorrow I have to go to a family gathering. I will think it over.
No problem man. I actually enjoyed the concept of the post.
Glad that you shared it with us.
I am back!
This is my theory:
The big problem is though. Ideas are , like you write, transferable, explainable, both to yourself and others. What we write here is ideas.
Thoughts are, I believe, language in a very broad sense. Not only words, but also imaginary sounds and images and fragrances. We have this inner dialogue all the time that stands in close connection with our sensory. We understand the world through it and we are limited in our understanding of the world by it.
I find it interesting that you focus on choice. There is something binary in that idea that is intriguing. Like life is going through an endless series of rail tracks with and endless number of switches.