Control vs agency 

Here’s a humanist way to hold that distinction:

• Control is rooted in fear. It’s the ego’s attempt to manage outcomes, people, and feelings so nothing unexpected can hurt us. Control narrows life — it limits spontaneity, play, and presence.

• Agency is rooted in freedom. It’s the felt sense that I can choose how I respond. Agency doesn’t guarantee outcomes, but it honors our capacity to act, create, and influence.

Control says: “If I grip tightly enough, I’ll be safe.”

Agency says: “Even if life is uncertain, I can move from my own center.”

Control constricts. Agency expands. One comes from armour, the other from aliveness.