To have agency in the world means to possess the capacity to act intentionally and make meaningful choices that affect your life, environment, and the people around you. It combines three main elements:
1. Capacity for Action
You not only have the ability to imagine possibilities but also the resources—physical, social, intellectual, emotional—to carry them out. Agency isn’t just about having desires; it’s about having the means to turn them into reality.
2. Autonomy and Choice
Agency implies that you are not merely being acted upon by external forces (like institutions, traditions, or other people), but that you retain the power to decide how you respond. It’s tied to freedom of thought and action—whether in small, everyday decisions or larger life paths.
3. Impact and Responsibility
True agency means your actions have consequences. When you exercise agency, you shape outcomes, influence others, and change circumstances—sometimes subtly, sometimes profoundly. This also ties agency to responsibility: to recognize that your choices matter.