People plan because it makes them feel free

People's ability to make rational plans is essential to their sense of personal freedom and autonomy, according to new research from philosophy Professor Michael Bratman. Forgetting about a long-scheduled meeting or organizing two activities at the same time evokes a response that is familiar to everyone. People call those actions mistakes, blame themselves and apologize to those affected by their inconsistent behavior. The feeling of self-blame and failure that most people get after messing up their plans is at the heart of the latest research from Stanford philosopher Michael Bratman. Stanford philosopher Michael Bratman explores how and why people plan their lives in his new book. (Image credit: Courtesy Michael Bratman) Why do people get upset when something about their planning goes awry? Bratman argues that the negative emotions in those situations represent humans' inherent need to abide by so-called rational norms of consistency, coherence and stability that help guide their planning. "Fitting together different plans in a coherent, consistent and stable way is part of what it means for humans to have unified thinking concerning what they are doing," Bratman said, noting that the existence of those norms helps make planning rational and is essential to people's sense of freedom and autonomy over their own lives.