Our decisions about personal goals, where we work and live, intimate relationships, and our definitions of satisfaction show the different ways we express our individual identity. As individual people, we define who we are and who we want to become at various points in our lives. Our previous life experiences, our current expectations, opportunities and preferences, and our dreams and hopes for the future are essential parts of our identity. People who want to know and support us need to learn about and understand all of these dimensions. Autonomy is about personal control over life events.
Autonomy begins with our ability to define personally important issues and express preferences.
It also requires that others show respect for our choices. We make decisions about whom we invite into our personal space. As a very practical matter, autonomy enables us to tell others to go away and leave us alone for a period of time, if that is what we want. We also decide when and how personal information is shared. We decide what information is shared and with whom.