Freely determined : what the new psychology of the self teaches us about how to live / Kennon M. Sheldon.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sheldon, Kennon M. (Kennon Marshall), author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Free will and determinism.

Psychology.

Physical Description:

260 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : Basic Books, Hachette Book Group, 2022.

Summary:

"For centuries, philosophers have debated the question of free will. Do we make our own choices? Or are we more like rudderless ships drifting on the ocean, buffeted by winds and currents outside ourselves? In TK, research psychologist Ken Sheldon reveals that the way we answer these questions has serious implications for our wellbeing. We may never know for certain whether free will exists, Sheldon argues, but recent studies have found that believing in free will matters--indeed, it's an essential component of psychological health. Freely Determined offers an argument for embracing our capacity to choose our own destiny, and a guide for how we might recognize our freedom and use it wisely. Drawing on his own groundbreaking work on motivation, as well as recent research in personality science and social psychology, Sheldon shows us that far from being in the thrall of animal urges and unconscious biases, we humans are constantly making conscious choices: whether to eat the nachos or the salad, whether to shoot the basketball or pass it to a teammate, whether to take that job or marry that person or write that novella. Indeed, over decades of research, Sheldon has established that seeing ourselves as change-makers in our own lives, and in the world, helps us feel happier and even behave more ethically. By identifying and pursuing our deepest values, he argues, we can set and achieve meaningful goals, ones that will help us and our communities flourish. Offering readers insight into how they can live a more self-directed, satisfying life, Freely Determined demystifies the science of choice and reveals that we are radically free to live with greater purpose"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: ch. 1 The Problems with Determinism

ch. 2 The Grand Hierarchy of Human Reality

ch. 3 The Source of Our Free Will

ch. 4 If We're Free, Why Don't We Feel Free?

ch. 5 Untangling the Mysteries of the Symbolic Self

ch. 6 Finding the Symbolic Self in the Brain

ch. 7 The Problem of Too Much Freedom

ch. 8 What Brings Happiness

ch. 9 The Digital Self

ch. 10 The Creative Process of Living.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781541620360

1541620364

OCLC:

1296940762

Publisher Number:

99992336788