We tend to say we want more autonomy (right to make choices regarding our own lives without external pressures or interference) when what we really want and need is more experience of agency (ability to take meaningful actions, make decisions, and influence the world around us).
Conversations about autonomy tend to focus on our resistance to something that someone else has done that we feel limits our right to choose; conversations about agency tend to focus on what purposes we want to serve through the choices and actions that are nonetheless available to us.
We can always find opportunities to increase our experience of agency, despite the fact that our autonomy is always constrained by relationships, roles, and other external factors. The factors that constrain us in one way often free us from other constraints, but we sometimes need to look carefully to recognize how to make use of our agency within the context of those constraints.
Below are definitions of the two terms from licensed therapist and board certified coach Jessica Taylor:
Agency: At its core, agency embodies the ability to take meaningful actions, make decisions, and influence the world around us. It underscores our capacity to act independently and be drivers of change.
Autonomy: On the flip side, autonomy zeroes in on our right to make choices regarding our own lives without external pressures or interference. It places a spotlight on our freedom to decide based on our personal values and desires.
https://www.mentalhealthwellnessmhw.com/blog/agency-and-autonomy
© Dana Cogan, 2024, all rights reserved.