ABSTRACT
Personal autonomy is highly treasured, and the possibility of losing some control arouses fear and resentment. Each person is characterized by a distinct set of behavioral tendencies, and much of the consistency in his inclinations to act arises from the fact that he is oriented toward a unique set of values. A person is closer to the autonomy pole of the continuum to the extent that he is able to retain his inner standards of conduct even in the face of inadequate confirmation from other people with whom he is in direct contact. It has been observed that in general people who are characterized by a high degree of autonomy tend to maintain polite distance between themselves and others. A social group is a system of coordinated action, aspects of which are made up of the contributions of various persons; and each person is a separate system consisting of the various meanings that make up his personality.
