What Are Some Examples of a Voluntary Action?

Examples of a voluntary action would be running, jumping, eating or walking. A voluntary action is one a person consciously controls.

Voluntary actions are different from involuntary actions in that some form of thought must be given to voluntary actions. Involuntary actions, or reflex actions, include breathing and sneezing.

Voluntary actions were first described by Aristotle in his book “Nicomachean Ethics.” In his book, he categorizes actions into three groups: voluntary, involuntary, and nonvoluntary. He believed voluntary actions were those driven by a person’s passions, desires and ambition. The person carrying out these actions must be fully aware of the choices he or she makes.