From the blog
Agency, attention, mistakes, and school
BY JIM RIETMULDER, ON JANUARY 28TH, 2013
Agency is the capacity to choose and act on your own behalf, and may be a hallmark of life. A rock just sits there, but living creatures can do things, can take actions. Even bacteria detect and move towards nutrients, making choices and taking action in a primitive sort of agency.
In human beings, agency is conscious and even self-conscious: we can reflect on how and why we make particular choices and take particular actions. If agency is a distinguishing feature of life in general, reflexive agency may be a distinguishing feature of humanity.
Agency is like muscle: both require exercise to develop. Both weaken if not used. Sitting still, you can watch a video or read a book to learn about muscle, but you can only strengthen your own through use.
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