The Desire For Autonomy

According to research, autonomy, which is the desire to make choices according to our own free will, is hardwired in all of us.  External pressures from other people, internal pressures, like guilt or shame, or anything that causes us to feel coerced can quickly cause our feelings of autonomy to vanish.  Restrictions on our autonomy may be responsible for a great deal of our unhappiness.  Even if it’s something we would normally want to do, we hate feeling “forced” to do it.  Realizing that we’re reacting to a threat to our autonomy can help us reframe the situation in a way that preserves our sense of autonomy.Read the full article here: The Desire For Autonomy