To help understand what distinguishes object behavior from agent behavior,
imagine a falling leaf that weaves back and forth in the air following the
laws of physics. Although it is in motion, that motion is not voluntary so we
call the leaf an object. If a butterfly appears in the scene, however, and
the leaf suddenly moves in close proximity to the butterfly, maintaining that
proximity even as the butterfly continues to move, we would immediately say
the leaf had “seen” the butterfly, and that the leaf was “following” it.
In fact, neuroscientists have found that NOT attributing intentionality to
similar examples of "only apparently" goal-directed behavior can be an indication
of a social disorder. A bias to agency attribution is normal and human.