The Definition Of Autonomy

As Human beings we have a need for autonomy. We feel that we must control and originate our own behaviors. We need to know that we are understood and cared for by others. We need to know that we have a purpose and that what we do is important. This is the definition of autonomy. For us to maintain a healthy lifestyle, autonomy has to be present. Even routine things like going shopping, walking a dog, or going out to certain social events. Things like this are taken for granted more often than not. The problems arise when we get sick or the elderly and they become unable to care for themselves without the assistance of others. In these instances our autonomy is taken away and we are not in control of what happens to us.
To really
understand what autonomy is we must talk about the multiple aspects which include several factors. First there must be a self-definition and identity. This is where we must understand who we are, gender, ethnicity, and religion along with things such as talents and accomplishments need to be identified and recognized and displayed. We need to have defined social networks and support systems. Even if we are in a serious relationship we need to have best friends as well. We need someone to have around that we can always go to in times of need and family structure can be an important part of this. By allowing ourselves to have relationships with others, we broaden our horizons and allow us to have many different interests and being able to pursue those is important part our good health (Autonomy, 2017).
We have to be able to express our interests and opinions to our families and partners. By being able to pursue the interests and to have differing opinions has great value for us as individuals. Last but not least we need to develop our own personal space and time. Each person in the relationship needs to have a say in how much time is spent together, how often you communicate and what circumstances would you need to check in with the other person. We need to be able to have some time alone to develop our own ideas and thoughts (Autonomy, 2017).In order to have a healthy relationships it is imperative that we have people who will be supportive and encourage us to keep our autonomy. Our relationships’ must provide us with the space to be by ourselves sometimes and we must be able to share all of our wants and needs to be independent and to listen to the others and be respectful of their needs and then try and find a balance that works for everyone. Each person's unique experiences and accomplishments can add to the joy of the relationship (Autonomy, 2014).