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Freely Determined: What the New Psychology of the Self Teaches Us About How to Live
A renowned psychologist argues that free will is not only real but essential to our well-being
It’s become fashionable to argue that free will is a that we humans are in the thrall of animal urges and unconscious biases and only think that we are choosing freely. In Freely Determined, research psychologist Kennon Sheldon argues that this perception is not only wrong but also dangerous. Drawing on decades of his own groundbreaking empirical research into motivation and goal setting, Sheldon shows us that embracing the ability to choose our path in life makes us happier, healthier, and more fulfilled. He also shows that this insight can help us choose better goals—ones that are concordant with our values and that, critically, we’re more likely to actually see through.
Providing readers insight into how they can live a more self-directed, satisfying life, Freely Determined offers an essential guide for how we might recognize our freedom and use it wisely.
It’s become fashionable to argue that free will is a that we humans are in the thrall of animal urges and unconscious biases and only think that we are choosing freely. In Freely Determined, research psychologist Kennon Sheldon argues that this perception is not only wrong but also dangerous. Drawing on decades of his own groundbreaking empirical research into motivation and goal setting, Sheldon shows us that embracing the ability to choose our path in life makes us happier, healthier, and more fulfilled. He also shows that this insight can help us choose better goals—ones that are concordant with our values and that, critically, we’re more likely to actually see through.
Providing readers insight into how they can live a more self-directed, satisfying life, Freely Determined offers an essential guide for how we might recognize our freedom and use it wisely.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2022
42 people are currently reading
747 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
December 19, 2022
Free will is one of my favorite topics to learn about. I’m a free will skeptic, but this book definitely shifted some of my views on the topic. This is another book that’s up there for one of my favorites of 2022 as Kennon Sheldon did an amazing job breaking down free will and arguing that we should all be skeptical of determinism. He mostly discusses the psychology and science behind free will and touches on a bit of the philosophy, but he argues that we do have the power to make decisions and change our lives for the better.
There are quite a few parts that I disagree with, but overall, he made strong arguments and made me start thinking about this topic in a different way. Although I’m a free will skeptic, I know that I made many choices in my life that helped me get sober and become the person I am today.
There are quite a few parts that I disagree with, but overall, he made strong arguments and made me start thinking about this topic in a different way. Although I’m a free will skeptic, I know that I made many choices in my life that helped me get sober and become the person I am today.
December 24, 2022
I read Kennon Sheldon's book after reading an intriguing review of it in the Wall Street Journal. This is a fascinating psychological exploration of free will. It succeeds quite convincingly in putting into question deterministic thinking and puts forth an integrated framework of humans linking all systems from the cellular level to the more complex levels of social psychology and society. For those who enjoyed Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow, Sheldon makes several references to that work (Systems 1 and 2), thus helping the reader put into context the last decade's most recent and ground breaking developments in decision making.
February 7, 2023
Well, I love his work but that book felt... unnecessary? It is still interesting but there is not much newness and the storytelling feels a little forced at times which disrupts the flow.
All in all, I was a little disappointed.
All in all, I was a little disappointed.
February 10, 2023
Philosophy meets psychology. It took me a while to get into the book, however, it is necessary to read the first part of the book before the author gets into the details of his argument.
July 12, 2025
Well the new psychology is not new at all and it does not tell us anything of use regarding the old but always entertaining debate on free will vs determinism; I follow the convincing accounts of Robert Sapolsky in Determined: A Science of Life without Free Will and Sam Harris in Free Will; yes of course everything is determined, how could it be otherwise, but our lives as humans play out in an endlessly complex system that is by definition (a total system cannot ever know itself) never completely knowable and therefore never completely predictable; such is the human condition so now go and live your life to the full.
January 18, 2025
3.5, rounded up.
I recommend this book with the disclaimer that it is dense and at times very hypothetical.
It was fascinating to learn about the different kinds of motivations we have as humans.. and the dynamic (or lack thereof) between those motives in our choices. We've all probably heard about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, but even so, Sheldon really helped me understand the nuance of each and how to cultivate them.
My favorite part was learning about 'identified motivation'. (!!! WE ARE THE ONLY SPECIES CAPABLE OF THIS MOTIVATION!!) Essentially, identified motivation is becoming educated about why or how something should fit into your life. The knowledge we gain then becomes a part of our self, and we develop identified motivation. For instance, if you typically eat the standard American diet (SAD diet), but then you learn about ultra-processed foods, the microbiome, the benefits of eating plant-based, etc, etc. Then you no longer have to 'motivate' yourself to eat healthy, it is part of you and your knowledge base. So cool! I think I appreciated learning about this because it is a phenomenon I have seen in my life but didn't have a term for it.. or know it was a 'thing' to begin with.
Sheldon spends more than half the book debating the topic of free will. If you have ever questioned if we have free will, I would love to discuss this book with you. I love the arguments presented in this book. However, like I said, it is dense and hypothetical at times.
I recommend this book with the disclaimer that it is dense and at times very hypothetical.
It was fascinating to learn about the different kinds of motivations we have as humans.. and the dynamic (or lack thereof) between those motives in our choices. We've all probably heard about intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, but even so, Sheldon really helped me understand the nuance of each and how to cultivate them.
My favorite part was learning about 'identified motivation'. (!!! WE ARE THE ONLY SPECIES CAPABLE OF THIS MOTIVATION!!) Essentially, identified motivation is becoming educated about why or how something should fit into your life. The knowledge we gain then becomes a part of our self, and we develop identified motivation. For instance, if you typically eat the standard American diet (SAD diet), but then you learn about ultra-processed foods, the microbiome, the benefits of eating plant-based, etc, etc. Then you no longer have to 'motivate' yourself to eat healthy, it is part of you and your knowledge base. So cool! I think I appreciated learning about this because it is a phenomenon I have seen in my life but didn't have a term for it.. or know it was a 'thing' to begin with.
Sheldon spends more than half the book debating the topic of free will. If you have ever questioned if we have free will, I would love to discuss this book with you. I love the arguments presented in this book. However, like I said, it is dense and hypothetical at times.
June 25, 2024
Explores the concept of personal autonomy and the factors that contribute to its development. Sheldon's thesis challenges conventional views by emphasizing the role of intrinsic motivation and psychological needs satisfaction in fostering genuine autonomy. He argues that individuals can cultivate autonomy by aligning their actions with their authentic values and aspirations.
January 12, 2023
Wow.free Will does exist.we decide .our choices should reflect our values.not others in order for us to be happy and satisfied..Intense and long drawn at times.but definitely worth listening to this audiobook.
Read
March 2, 2023If you have any intention to not just create goals, but connect more deeply with who you want to be, I'd recommend this book.
Chapters 1 and 2 were kind of slow, and each chapter kind of encapsulates within itself. Chapters 4, 7, and 10 have a chunk of sticky notes in my copy :)
Chapters 1 and 2 were kind of slow, and each chapter kind of encapsulates within itself. Chapters 4, 7, and 10 have a chunk of sticky notes in my copy :)
April 25, 2023
[Imported automatically from my blog. Some formatting there may not have translated here.]
Putting my cards on the table: I'm a believer in what the philosophers call "libertarian" free will. And I use the term "believer" because (sigh) I don't have any solid knock-down evidence to throw up against the (so-called) "determinists".
Other than to say: "Hey, if you don't believe in free will, that's OK; that's your choice." And then walk away chuckling at this very cheap shot.
Bur I like to read on both sides of the issue, so when I noticed this book on the new nonfiction table at Portsmouth Public Library, I picked it up. It's by Ken Sheldon, psychology professor at the University of Missouri. It contains an interesting mix: there's a pro-free will argument, but—see the subtitle—there's also a strong component of self-help advice.
I used to think that belief in determinism was essentially one that had no effect on one's daily life. No matter how solid that belief, you still have to make decisions, from mundane ones (what shirt to wear, how much cream cheese to put on that bagel, …) to the life-altering ones (which career path to pursue, who/whether to marry, …). And (I thought) determinists pretty much go through the same mental processes that I do when making decisions. There's no avoiding it, is there? Net result is the same.
But Sheldon cites research that indicates otherwise: free will believers tend to be happier and healthier. (And more honest: one study had participants read a pro-determinism article, then take a math skills test. They were more likely to cheat on that test than the control group.) So even if free will doesn't exist, pilgrim, you're better off believing in it anyway.
Sheldon locates the seat of free will in the "symbolic self": "our sense of ourselves as self-aware agents living a story, playing our roles in the world, and deciding what to do and say next." He locates the symbolic self as an emergent property of human neurophysiology. Somewhat like "life" is an emergent property of plain old unliving molecules arranged into cells, organs, …. And (similar) human society and culture is an energent property of individual human interactions, its behavior unpredictable from knowledge of individuals.
And (to me) that makes sense. His strongest argument (I think) is what he calls "the grand hierarchy of human reality", which has causal arrows working both ways, up and down. (There's a nice diagram on page 45, which I'm too lazy to scan in. Trust me.)
A side discussion of interest, getting more relevant every day: what about AI? Could they exhibit free will? Sheldon says sure, why not. And speculates from there. Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation is referenced.
As mentioned, there's a strong component of self-help in the book, as indicated by the "how to live" in the subtitle. I admit I found that ("at my age") less interesting; Ken, if I haven't figured out "how to live" by now, it's unlikely to happen at all, sorry.
June 9, 2023
Excellent book, big picture thesis. The author takes up the free will vs determinism question. However, his argument in support of free will is based more on findings from the sciences -- evolution of the brain, developmental psychology, neuroscience and cognitive science, social psychology, etc. -- instead of on philosophical arguments. His argument is somewhat reminiscent (if I remember correctly) of the argument Daniel Dennett made in Freedom Evolves twenty years ago, except Sheldon is able to summon more scientific evidence rather than on logic, conjecture and what-ifs as Dennett had to rely upon.
Because it draws upon evidence rather than philosophical argument, Sheldon makes a stronger case that humans can exercise free choice at least some of the time. He doesn't argue that we're totally free -- we are biological beings with evolved "automatic" responses, but brains have evolved to deal with increased complexity by flexibility and learning, which injects a strong element of choice into our behavioral repertoire. His argument is not the last word, but it tilts the playing field and points a new direction for further research/evidence to be brought the bear.
Because it draws upon evidence rather than philosophical argument, Sheldon makes a stronger case that humans can exercise free choice at least some of the time. He doesn't argue that we're totally free -- we are biological beings with evolved "automatic" responses, but brains have evolved to deal with increased complexity by flexibility and learning, which injects a strong element of choice into our behavioral repertoire. His argument is not the last word, but it tilts the playing field and points a new direction for further research/evidence to be brought the bear.
January 21, 2023
I heard the author on a podcast, and wanted to read it to get the details about what his research said about happiness, and how people figure out what really makes them happy. So I skipped the first 7 chapters!
The last 3 chapters and the epilogue were great. I found plenty of validation that living a meaningful life based on meeting the basic psychological needs for a sense of autonomy, sense of competency, and sense of connection would be more important than making more money, having more power or influence over others, or even having better health.
And the suggested method to sort out exactly what activities in your life would bring those feelings and that life matched the creative process as it has been described by others;
1. question - preparation
2. incubation - reflection
3. insight - conclusion
4. verification - elaboration
5 intention - goal setting
The first 3 steps are the deliberation process and the last 2 are the implementation process.
The suggested first question to ask in order to figure out how to be happy is "Why do I want to do X?" - when faced with a decision. There was stuff about intrinsic vs extrinsic value...but that is not something I have ever struggled with.
I found it useful & interesting.
The last 3 chapters and the epilogue were great. I found plenty of validation that living a meaningful life based on meeting the basic psychological needs for a sense of autonomy, sense of competency, and sense of connection would be more important than making more money, having more power or influence over others, or even having better health.
And the suggested method to sort out exactly what activities in your life would bring those feelings and that life matched the creative process as it has been described by others;
1. question - preparation
2. incubation - reflection
3. insight - conclusion
4. verification - elaboration
5 intention - goal setting
The first 3 steps are the deliberation process and the last 2 are the implementation process.
The suggested first question to ask in order to figure out how to be happy is "Why do I want to do X?" - when faced with a decision. There was stuff about intrinsic vs extrinsic value...but that is not something I have ever struggled with.
I found it useful & interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2023
An important contribution to the debate of whether free will exists.
Discourse in this contentious sphere is often hampered by interlocutors using different definitions of free will.
Here, the author adopts Christian List's psychological definition where free will requires the capacity:
1. to consider several possibilities for action
2. to form an intention to pursue one of those possibilities
3. to take action to move toward that possibility
From this premise, hybrid philosophical/psychological arguments are presented in support of free will.
Several theorems are examined including self-determination theory, the evolved symbolic self, system 1 versus system 2 functioning, and the hierarchical organization of human existence.
The author also argues that even if free will does not exist, we should live as though it does. Research shows that a belief in determinism leads to poorer life outcomes compared to believing in the presence of free will.
Discourse in this contentious sphere is often hampered by interlocutors using different definitions of free will.
Here, the author adopts Christian List's psychological definition where free will requires the capacity:
1. to consider several possibilities for action
2. to form an intention to pursue one of those possibilities
3. to take action to move toward that possibility
From this premise, hybrid philosophical/psychological arguments are presented in support of free will.
Several theorems are examined including self-determination theory, the evolved symbolic self, system 1 versus system 2 functioning, and the hierarchical organization of human existence.
The author also argues that even if free will does not exist, we should live as though it does. Research shows that a belief in determinism leads to poorer life outcomes compared to believing in the presence of free will.
February 1, 2025
I appreciated the focus on the question of free will and the supportive research shared in Freely Determined.
I particularly found « identified motivation » fascinating and will attempt to articulate that as well as other aspects of free will to my clients struggling with agency over their lives.
I particularly found « identified motivation » fascinating and will attempt to articulate that as well as other aspects of free will to my clients struggling with agency over their lives.
March 17, 2025
This book started a little bit slow for me and I almost gave it up. I'm really glad that I made it to chapters 9 and 10 which I found fascinating! I think I'm going to go back and read those two chapters again and I kind of wish I had started with those two and then went back to the beginning and read it to the end again.
May 25, 2023
I found this book to be incredibly interesting! I need to buy a copy so that I can look back at some of the information because my notetaking was never fast enough. Isn't it amazing that freedom to choose is the basis of our existence and happiness?!
August 15, 2023
A very thought provoking read. The hierarchy of being was particularly interesting in terms of thinking about the different levels of organisation in living things.
It provides a very good reason to believe in free will even if not providing absolute proof.
It provides a very good reason to believe in free will even if not providing absolute proof.
February 23, 2025
I heard the author interviewed on the Hidden Brain podcast and it was an excellent interview. On that basis, I wanted to read the book. However, I found the book much less accessible and harder to follow. It was more academic than I had hoped.
March 2, 2023
Got me thinking especially about issues with AI.
June 29, 2024
As the author of this book, I cannot help but choose to give it an excellent rating.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews