ABC Theory of Life: Autonomy, Belonging, Cause

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Metadata of Note

Type: 🍃 Leaf [Nomenclature present here.]

Source: [[Chuck Garcia]] and [[🌰 202110221723 Self-Determination Theory]]

Tags: #meaning #happiness #life #community #purpose

Date: October 22nd, 2021

On a call I had with Chuck Garcia on October 22nd, 2021, and he told me about this ABC theory of life which made perfect sense. He mentioned this theory was put forth by someone to show what it takes to lead an ideal life. I realized the resonance to this theory with my own life.

• Autonomy: This is the need to be in charge of our choices, to know that you can make your own choices and are not constrained. To have freewill (or the illusion of it.)

  • I feel this is what I've been fighting for creatively the past 1.5+ years (Article: My Painful, Year-Long Journey To Quit My Job). And, this is also what I fought for when I came to the US and wanted to leave India so I could have more autonomy in the decisions I made for myself and the identity I wanted to create for myself.

• Belonging: This is the need we have to feel belonged - to be part of a community, to experience care, love, belonging, respect, and support.

  • [[MoB]] showed me what this feels like this year. And in the past, I felt this during my high school and during my summer abroad via SN Bose. And I've felt glimpses in my clubs. Mainly, knowing I have people to turn to and learning to teach that to myself when times are tough has been a turning point this year.

• Cause: The source articles calls this "Competence" and not "Cause." But I like Cause more, which is what Chuck mentioned. Cause is the need to feel that we're part of something bigger than ourselves, the need to feel useful, to feel needed, to feel like we're making the world a better place.

  • I've felt this with every article I've written, every post I've created, my book, my course, and all the future things I will be creating.

I find this framework to be even better than the framework mentioned in Four Pillars For A Meaningful (Not Happy) Life as that lacks the "autonomy" aspect which I feel is critical.