Self Control Is Overrated. Willpower Is Too. • Discoverology

Self Control Is Overrated. Willpower Is Too.

vox.com
10m read

Psychologists are shying away from the concept, as years of work suggesting that willpower is a finite, essential resource has come under intense scrutiny. In a specific situation, sure, you can muster willpower to save yourself from falling back into a bad habit.

Related topics
Related posts
Ladies In Waiting

Ladies In Waiting

Health Life Long Reads Psychology

In the most memorable scene of the 2002 film Secretary, nothing happens. For over ten minutes, a period that represents entire days in the movie’s internal timeline, protagonist Lee remains faithfully immobile, wetting herself in the process. Waiting, which renders everything provisional, which suspends progress or conclusion of any kind, is worse than clarity.

How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation

How Millennials Became The Burnout Generation

Health Life Long Reads Psychology

We’re spoiled, entitled, lazy, and failures at what’s come to be known as “adulting,” a word invented by millennials as a catchall for the tasks of self-sufficient existence. I couldn’t figure out why small, straightforward tasks on my to-do list felt so impossible. The answer is both more complex and far simpler than I expected.

Confirmation Bias: Why You Make Terrible Life Choices

Confirmation Bias: Why You Make Terrible Life Choices

Life Psychology

Confirmation bias is the human tendency to seek, interpret and remember information that confirms pre-existing beliefs. It is insidious. It affects every choice you make. Every. Single. Day. The things you choose to buy, your health, who you choose to marry, your career, your emotions, and your finances.

Selfishness Is Learned

Selfishness Is Learned

Psychology

Harvard professors, Martin Nowak and Joshua Greene, tackled a question: Which is our default mode, selfishness or selflessness? Do we all have craven instincts we must restrain by force of will? Or are we basically good, even if we slip up sometimes?

Psychology Still Skews Western And Affluent. Can It Be Fixed?

Psychology Still Skews Western And Affluent. Can It Be Fixed?

Psychology

For decades, the overwhelming majority of psychology research has examined people who live in the United States and other affluent Western countries. By focusing on such a narrow population, psychology researchers have — mostly unwittingly — presented a skewed view of the human mind.

The Link Between Self Compassion And Peak Performance

The Link Between Self Compassion And Peak Performance

Life Psychology

Research shows that individuals who react to failure with self-compassion get back on the bandwagon much more swiftly than those who judge themselves. That’s because if you judge yourself for messing up, you’re liable to feel guilt or shame, and it is often this very guilt or shame that drives more of the undesired behavior.

Why Do Smart People Do Foolish Things?

Why Do Smart People Do Foolish Things?

Psychology Science

Intelligence is not the same as critical thinking—and the difference matters. Most intelligence tests fail to capture real-world decision-making and our ability to interact well with others. This is why “smart” people do “dumb” things.

Why You Spend So Much Money At IKEA

Why You Spend So Much Money At IKEA

Economics Psychology Videos

IKEA’s “aesthetic per dollar” ratio is very high, says neuromarketer and author of “The Buying Brain” Dr. A. K. Pradeep. Ikea’s affordable style is its “category-busting-metric,” or what makes it stand out from all the other brands in that space, he says.

The Key To Good Luck Is An Open Mind

The Key To Good Luck Is An Open Mind

Life Psychology Science

What do these people have that the rest of us don’t? It turns out “ability” is the key word here. Beyond their level of privilege or the circumstances they were born into, the luckiest people may have a specific set of skills that bring chance opportunities their way.

The Hypersane Are Among Us, If Only We Are Prepared to Look

The Hypersane Are Among Us, If Only We Are Prepared to Look

Life Psychology

Hypersane people are calm, contained and constructive. It is not just that the ‘sane’ are irrational but that they lack scope and range, as though they’ve grown into the prisoners of their arbitrary lives, locked up in their own dark and narrow subjectivity.

The Music In You

The Music In You

Life Long Reads Psychology

The more psychologists investigate musicality, the more it seems that nearly all of us are musical experts, in quite a startling sense. You might not be a virtuoso, but you have remarkable music abilities. You just don’t know about them yet.

A Psychologist Explains How To Beat Social Anxiety

A Psychologist Explains How To Beat Social Anxiety

Explainers Life Psychology

A nice analogy is that of mood and action. We often think we have to “feel” like doing something before doing it. We think we have to feel like going to the gym before going to work out. But if we lace up our shoes and go to the gym, often our mood catches up, and we’re glad we went. With confidence, it’s the same thing.

Success Comes From Affirming Your Potential

Success Comes From Affirming Your Potential

Life Psychology

When people believe in their ability to grow, they make decisions that reflect this conviction, such as investing in their potential, focusing on their unique strengths, and discovering new paths to success and fulfillment that align with their core values and leadership goals.

Mommy Can’t Talk Right Now — She’s Dopamine Fasting

Mommy Can’t Talk Right Now — She’s Dopamine Fasting

Health Life Psychology

In Silicon Valley, there is a newish craze called dopamine fasting. What you must do is disconnect — take stock. Not look at your phone, not drink celery juice in your co-working kitchen, not hike, not touch, and not walk on busy streets. Attempt to prevent the activation of any dopamine at all and do deep thinking instead.

Are Rich People Heartless?

Are Rich People Heartless?

Life Psychology Videos

According to Chris Ryan, the author of ‘Civilized to Death: the price of progress’, rich people have the tendency to distance themselves from people because of their wealth differential.

We use cookies on this website to analyse your use of our products and services, provide content from third parties and assist with our marketing efforts. Learn more about our use of cookies and available controls: cookie policy. Please be aware that your experience may be disrupted until you accept cookies.