Agency
Notes
Agency is the ability of the individual to logically connect between desires and actions, and become the inner, causal factor of those actions. Meaning, a person with agency usually feels responsible for their actions. They are aware of the decisions they are making, and their actions are lining up with their desires Second order thinking.
The main case where we don't implement our agency is when there is no filter, thought or a conscious decision about the conversion between desire and action Impulsivity. For example, a person who sees an ad and immediately goes and buys something without thinking is not considered as a person with agency. Similarly, a person that is being shouted on and immediately shouts back is also not considered as a person with agency.
It is important to note that agency is matter of following the right process, not a matter of which choices you make. A good process is one that:
- Free of external influence - By Pausing, taking a moment to Zoom out, and allowing ourselves to reflect on our thoughts and feelings, we can make sure that our choices are free of any External Influence.
- Aligns with values - Our choices should reflect our Core Values
Making decisions without following the right process can lead to a false sense of agency due to:
- Rationalization - Without even meaning to, we can mistakenly justify our actions after having done them to avoid cognitive misalignment, while beforehand we might have chosen differently Rationalization
- Surrendering to pressure - Making choices without internal deliberation can cause us to feel like our choices are our own, while in reality we end up being a puppet in others' hands Peer Pressure
Remember that in the space between the pressure, stimulus and triggers we get from the external world, and the action we do as a response, we are always free to choose.
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Overview
🔼Topic:: Free Will (MOC) 🔼Topic:: Wellbeing (MOC) ◀Origin:: How to think like a roman emperor (book) 🔗Link::