Earlier quoted context omitted.
Whether he misdiagnosed himself is kind of irrelevant. The case is: - He's had a chronic problem with sleep. - He was able to overcome his problem with sleep by realizing it was not so much a personal or moral fault, but a problem that was being approached the wrong way. - He related the story to a friend who felt that her inability to sleep was a character weakness, and upon realizing that maybe it was just that she…
>>Whether he misdiagnosed himself is kind of irrelevant I never claimed the author misdiagnosed himself or was lazy- >>What exactly is "willpower" and why would a lack of it need to be rationalized... To insinuate that someone needs to "rationalize a lack of willpower" implies that willpower is some sort of moral resource... Assuming the people in question do not suffer from a legitimate disorder: Willpower is the ab…
When does the need for willpower become excessive? When does it change from a deficiency in the person, to a deficiency in the environment?
If one doesn't have the willpower to work 15 hour days, that isn't a deficiency in the person, it's a deficiency in the environment.
I argue that the same is the case for people with sleep and eating disorders. To fix these disorders with willpower alone, is simply too much to ask for the majority of people. It lies in a deficiency in the environment -- an unlimited access to unhealthy food, and an unlimited access to stimulating light.
Willpower clearly isn't the way. We have to look at solving these problems by improving our environment (I don't mean that in a green, nature way, I just mean whatever existence surrounds the person with the issue)