Our Gemara on Amud Aleph and Rashi (“Ne’eman”) refer to a basic Talmudic principle known as Shavya Anafshei Chaticha Deissura, which means that a person has the ability to declare something to be forbidden based on his belief, even if there is no compelling evidence.  Thus, he must conduct himself as if it is forbidden, even if to outsiders there is no such obligation.

The commentaries debate the conceptual underpinning of this principle, with some suggesting that it is a form of a neder or vow, that is, the voluntary acceptance of a prohibition and not based on any degree of believing the person’s statement.  Most famously in the world of lomdus, the Ketzos Hachoshen (34:4) concludes that the Torah grants a person special credibility in regard to himself, that even goes beyond the typical standards of evidence and testimony.  It is a de facto and practical assignment of belief and authority in the person’s declaration of self-knowledge.

This has gotten me thinking about the dynamic between authority and autonomy, which is a necessary tension between a religious system which makes great demands on conformity on thought and action, but also stresses individual perceptual validity and accountability.  This Ketzos is one example.  We also find circumstances where a person can take the law into his own hands, vigilante style, when left with no recourse and has absolute conviction that he is correct (see Shulkhan Arukh, Choshen Mishpat 4).  We also see from Gemara Yoma (83a), based on a verse in Mishley (14:10), that a person’s heart knows the depth of his illness.  Thus we permit a person to eat on Yom Kippur if he is convinced that he is mortally ill, even if this is contrary to medical opinion.

Psychologically speaking, self-determination and autonomy are key aspects of mental health and functioning.  The reason for this is that when there is a sense of autonomy it promotes a sense of intrinsic motivation.  Intrinsic motivation, as opposed to extrinsic motivation, is more powerful, longer lasting, and tends to increase self-esteem and satisfaction.  If a person follows orders and obeys out of fear or out of expectancy of reward or approval, it is a form of motivation but it also is more draining.  While if a person has determined from an inner conviction that what he or she is doing is right and good for them and in-line with their true beliefs, then he or she will feel satisfied and accomplished from the internal sense of being competent and connected to oneself.

According to Basic Needs Theory, there are three psychological needs that are related to intrinsic motivation, effective functioning, high quality engagement, and psychological well-being. The first psychological need is autonomy or the belief that one can choose their own behaviors and actions. The second psychological need is competence. In this sense, competence is when one is able to work effectively as they master their capacity to interact with the environment. The third psychological need proposed in basic needs theory is relatedness, or the need to form strong relationships or bonds with people who are around an individual.

Think of the following metaphor. If you see someone running like mad, you cannot tell the person’s state of mind or motivations.  Is he being chased by a rabid dog, or is he running toward his lover?  In both cases, the physical and emotional exertion is intense. However, intuitively we can say that in the former, the person will at best feel relieved but also depleted and exhausted.  However, the same efforts in the latter situation, develops feelings of accomplishment, happiness and contentment.

Source:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination_theory

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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