--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Giving people more control over what they…" description: "\"“Giving people more control over what they do and how they do it increases their happiness, engagement, and sense of fulfillment.”\" — Cal Newport" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/cal-newport-1302_happiness_giving-people-more-control-over-what-the_2865192.jpg" --- # Giving people more control over what they do and how they… ![“Giving people more control over what they do and how they do it increases their happiness, engagement, and sense of fulfillment.” quote by Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/cal-newport-1302_happiness_giving-people-more-control-over-what-the_2865192.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/cal-newport-1302_happiness_giving-people-more-control-over-what-the_2865192.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/cal-newport-1302_happiness_giving-people-more-control-over-what-the_2865192.jpg) > ““Giving people more control over what they do and how they do it increases their happiness, engagement, and sense of fulfillment.”” [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Argues that granting people autonomy over tasks boosts happiness, engagement, and fulfillment. **In simple terms:** Autonomy at work increases happiness and fulfillment. Key Takeaway Design jobs with meaningful choice. Themes work autonomy happiness engagement Mood productive optimistic Type business psychological When to use this quote - office design - remote work policies - team management - career planning Key Concepts self‑determination theory psychology Questions to Reflect On - How much autonomy is optimal? - What structures support meaningful choice? A Different Perspective Too much freedom can cause lack of direction. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ## Related quotes > [As my awareness increases, my control over my own being increases.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-schutz/as-my-awareness-increases-my-control-over-my-own-being-increases/) [William Schutz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-schutz/) > [Every increase of needs tends to increase one's independence on outside forces over which one cannont have control and therefore increases existential fear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/every-increase-of-needs-tends-to-increase-one-s-independence-on/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Nothing increases happiness like quiet time. The truth is, the only moments that make you laugh or happy are seconds of stillness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/russell-simmons/nothing-increases-happiness-like-quiet-time-the-truth-is-the-only/) [Russell Simmons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/russell-simmons/) > [More company increases happiness, but does not lighten or diminish misery.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-traherne/more-company-increases-happiness-but-does-not-lighten-or-diminish/) [Thomas Traherne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-traherne/) > [Sharing and accepting other people's happiness increases our own happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/itsme867/sharing-and-accepting-other-people-s-happiness-increases-our-own/) Itsme867 > [“Robert A. Emmons, PhD, has conducted multiple studies on the link between gratitude and well-being and confirms that practicing gratitude increases happiness and reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/s-j-scott/robert-a-emmons-phd-has-conducted-multiple-studies-on-the-link/) [S.J. Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/s-j-scott/) > [Most rich countries have reported increases in happiness as they become richer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-davidson/most-rich-countries-have-reported-increases-in-happiness-as-they/) [Adam Davidson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-davidson/) > [I can say I want to be known as the prettiest player ever but I don't control that, the people control that. So all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-taurasi/i-can-say-i-want-to-be-known-as-the-prettiest-player-ever-but-i-don-t/) [Diana Taurasi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-taurasi/) > [I think people have some control over what they want; there's a relationship - maybe not automatic - between what you want and get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-waterston/i-think-people-have-some-control-over-what-they-want-there-s-a/) [Sam Waterston](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-waterston/) > [Watch out for the fellow who talks about putting things in order! Putting things in order always means getting other people under your control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denis-diderot/watch-out-for-the-fellow-who-talks-about-putting-things-in-order/) [Denis Diderot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denis-diderot/) > [Honestly, everybody gets talked about. Some people control their press a little more than others. Some people feed the press and move it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/honestly-everybody-gets-talked-about-some-people-control-their-press/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [The Oscars demonstrate the will of the people to control and judge those they have elected to stand above them (much, perhaps, as in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mamet/the-oscars-demonstrate-the-will-of-the-people-to-control-and-judge/) [David Mamet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mamet/) > [Anyone who allows other people to control and guide their destiny will eventually become bitter and feel used and taken advantage of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/innah-delos-angeles/anyone-who-allows-other-people-to-control-and-guide-their-destiny/) [Innah Delos Angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/innah-delos-angeles/) > [If you want to control other people, first control yourself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abu-bakr/if-you-want-to-control-other-people-first-control-yourself/) [Abu Bakr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abu-bakr/) > [“We are at the mercy of whoever wields authority over the things we either desire or detest. If you would be free, then, do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/we-are-at-the-mercy-of-whoever-wields-authority-over-the-things-we/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) ## More by Cal Newport > [“the importance of ability. The things that make a great job great, I discovered, are rare and valuable. If you want them in your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-importance-of-ability-the-things-that-make-a-great-job-great-i/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“many software companies now deploy the Scrum project management methodology, which replaces a lot of this ad hoc messaging with regular, highly structured, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/many-software-companies-now-deploy-the-scrum-project-management/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“when paying more than $1,000 a day to write the chapter in a suite of an old hotel down the street from a Hogwarts-style…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-paying-more-than-1-000-a-day-to-write-the-chapter-in-a-suite-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“When deciding whether to follow an appealing pursuit that will introduce more control into your work life, seek evidence of whether people are willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/when-deciding-whether-to-follow-an-appealing-pursuit-that-will/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Let your mind become a lens, thanks to the converging rays of attention; let your soul be all intent on whatever it is that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/let-your-mind-become-a-lens-thanks-to-the-converging-rays-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“study by Harvard Business School professor Leslie Perlow. In this study, a group of management consultants were asked to disconnect for a full day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/study-by-harvard-business-school-professor-leslie-perlow-in-this/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“if it’s rare and valuable, it’s not easy to get. This insight brought me into the world of performance science, where I encountered the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/if-it-s-rare-and-valuable-it-s-not-easy-to-get-this-insight-brought/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Here’s the routine: Once a week I require myself to summarize in my “bible” a paper I think might be relevant to my research.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/here-s-the-routine-once-a-week-i-require-myself-to-summarize-in-my/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“craftsman mindset is the foundation for creating work you love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/craftsman-mindset-is-the-foundation-for-creating-work-you-love/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“the journalist philosophy. This name is a nod to the fact that journalists, like Walter Isaacson, are trained to shift into a writing mode…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/the-journalist-philosophy-this-name-is-a-nod-to-the-fact-that/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Not long into his 2010 TED talk on creativity and leadership, Derek Sivers plays a video clip of a crowd at an outdoor concert.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/not-long-into-his-2010-ted-talk-on-creativity-and-leadership-derek/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Kirk’s path to American Treasures was incremental. He didn’t decide out of nowhere that he wanted to host a television show and then work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/kirk-s-path-to-american-treasures-was-incremental-he-didn-t-decide/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“If you spend too much time focusing on whether or not you’ve found your true calling, the question will be rendered moot when you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/if-you-spend-too-much-time-focusing-on-whether-or-not-you-ve-found/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“Their plans were circumspect and small-time. They weren’t dreaming of taking over the world.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/their-plans-were-circumspect-and-small-time-they-weren-t-dreaming-of/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) > [“This chain method (as some now call it) soon became a hit among writers and fitness enthusiasts—communities that thrive on the ability to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/this-chain-method-as-some-now-call-it-soon-became-a-hit-among-writers/) [Cal Newport](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) [Explore all 257 Cal Newport quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/) ## More Happiness quotes > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Remember that your natural state is joy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/remember-that-your-natural-state-is-joy/) [Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/) > [Balance suggests a perfect equilibrium. There is no such thing. That is a false expectation… There are going to be priorities and dimensions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/denise-morrison/balance-suggests-a-perfect-equilibrium-there-is-no-such-thing-that-is/) [Denise Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/denise-morrison/) > [“WE CAN'T ALWAYS CONTROL OUR CIRCUMSTANCES BUT WE CAN CONTROL OUR ATTITUDE. WE MUST BE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHAT WE DO WITH WHAT HAPPENS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marvin-j-ashton/we-can-t-always-control-our-circumstances-but-we-can-control-our/) [MARVIN J. ASHTON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marvin-j-ashton/) > [I can skate beautifully. While performing on ice I always try to please the audience and to win as well. Being artistic is very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/evgeni-plushenko/i-can-skate-beautifully-while-performing-on-ice-i-always-try-to/) [Evgeni Plushenko](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/evgeni-plushenko/) > [Sometimes we wish for the feel but we never understand that we have to give a lot to get the feel !](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-reynolds/sometimes-we-wish-for-the-feel-but-we-never-understand-that-we-have/) [Robert Reynolds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-reynolds/) > [Sing like no one's listening, love like you've never been hurt, dance like nobody's watching, and live like its heaven on earth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/sing-like-no-one-s-listening-love-like-you-ve-never-been-hurt-dance/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [The happy have whole days,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colley-cibber/the-happy-have-whole-days/) [Colley Cibber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colley-cibber/) > [I have observed this in my experience of slavery, - that whenever my condition was improved, instead of its increasing my contentment, it only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/i-have-observed-this-in-my-experience-of-slavery-that-whenever-my/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [I've got nothing to do today but smile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-got-nothing-to-do-today-but-smile/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Her dignity consists in being unknown to the world; her glory is in the esteem of her husband; her pleasures in the happiness of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-jacques-rousseau/her-dignity-consists-in-being-unknown-to-the-world-her-glory-is-in/) [Jean-Jacques Rousseau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-jacques-rousseau/) > [The size of a man's understanding might always be justly measured by his mirth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/the-size-of-a-man-s-understanding-might-always-be-justly-measured-by/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [Positive thinking evokes more energy, more initiative, more happiness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/positive-thinking-evokes-more-energy-more-initiative-more-happiness/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When you have a choice, choose happy!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pancho-barnes/when-you-have-a-choice-choose-happy/) Pancho Barnes [Browse all 40,288 Happiness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Giving people more control over what they do and how they do it increases their happiness, engagement, and sense of fulfillment.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Cal Newport" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/giving-people-more-control-over-what-they-do-and-how-they-do-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Happiness" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/giving-people-more-control-over-what-they-do-and-how-they-do-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/cal-newport-1302_happiness_giving-people-more-control-over-what-the_2865192.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/cal-newport-1302_happiness_giving-people-more-control-over-what-the_2865192.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f39/cal-newport-1302_happiness_giving-people-more-control-over-what-the_2865192.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Giving people more control over what they do and how they do it increases their happiness, engagement, and…” — Cal Newport", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Cal Newport", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cal-newport/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Giving people more control over what...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/giving-people-more-control-over-what-they-do-and-how-they-do-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cal-newport/giving-people-more-control-over-what-they-do-and-how-they-do-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```