Viktor Frankl taught that between stimulus and response, there is space, which holds the power to choose.

Growth and freedom lies in individual choice.

Attempts at blame and denial do not remove responsibility for one's behavior.

Do you blame others for the choices you are making? Have you blamed others for the previous choices you have made?

To shed more light on these questions, you might also ask yourself: “What am I responsible for, and what power do I have?” From there, you might agree with this self-reflective response: “I am responsible for, and I’ve got the power over what I think, do, say, learn, and choose” (Purje, 2014).

William Glasser (1986) argues that all behaviour is self-selected, which, self-evidently, means the individual decides how they will think, act, and respond. Ultimately, according to Glasser, “all living creatures, from simple to complex, control themselves.” As such, individuals are accountable for their attitudes, actions, choices, and behaviour.

Added to this is the work of philosophers Immanuel Kant and Jean-Paul Sartre. Kant argues that individuals possess a universal and inescapable power, namely the power to choose. Kant also maintains that every person (regardless of circumstances, culture, upbringing, or environment) has the capacity to determine their actions through what he refers to as reason and will (Gardner, 2011; Hirsch, 2023; Larrimore, 2001). Similarly, Sartre argues that individuals are responsible for their choices, making each person the author of their decisions, actions, and lives.

Cognitive behavioural therapy asserts that all presenting behaviours result from self-initiated thoughts and self-directed actions (Beck, 1979; Meichenbaum, 1977; Sartre, 1946/2007). This also means that individuals can change their thoughts and actions (for which they are responsible) at any time, and as often as they wish, through their intentional, self-selected thoughts and newly self-initiated, self-directed behaviours (Beck, 1979; Meichenbaum, 1977).

Educational psychology also addresses self-regulation, self-management, and metacognition. Metacognition, according to Flavell (1979), refers to the self-reflective awareness and regulation of one’s own thinking, including the ability to monitor, evaluate, and adjust cognitive processes to achieve goals. This, to me, bears similarities to and reflects the powerful insight and maxim of René Descartes (1596 – 1650): “Cogito, ergo sum” (“I think, therefore I am”) (Hatfield, 2008).

All of this research affirms that, from an academic perspective, which also involves consciousness and free will, individuals actively monitor, guide, and continuously adjust their thinking and behaviour in........

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