31–40 of 58 posts
Something I've yet to see explored is the difference between negative and positive willpower. For example, I find it very difficult to motivate myself to do something I don't want to do, and easy to procrastinate. But it is relatively easy for me to have the willpower not to do something that I do want to do. On the other hand, many people seem to have the opposite problem; they find it relatively easy to do things t…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
The prefrontal cortex regulates the three challenges "I will not", "I will" and "I want". These three challenges cost energy everytime we make it. That is what we call willpower. And almost everything you do needs willpower. Willpower doesn't only come in if you wan't to push further.
We require energy to do anything. Even to just merely exist. But that isn't all there is to, is it?
Earlier quoted context omitted.
> If you are lazy, dispassionate or just bored about something. Will power won't help your there. Maybe I am being overly nit-picky here but I feel the last paragraph completely contradicts the rest of your comment. At first you claim that will power can overcome a lack of passion but then you say that will power can't help you if you are dispassionate/bored.
Let me clarify. There is a massive difference between 'Pain' and 'Disinterest'. Lets say you are super passionate about making the next big programming language. The task is huge, its monstrous. But you go about it eventually, meanwhile you stretching beyond means. You stay up awake whole nights, you are working weekends, you've stopped seeing your friends. All that 18 hr/day work is causing you immense tiredness, th…
I'd really recommend people seeking to increase their willpower (and productivity) read Getting Stuff Done by David Allen. I'm a lot more organized after reading this book and the author does talk about the scientific basis for 'limited' willpower.
Something I've yet to see explored is the difference between negative and positive willpower. For example, I find it very difficult to motivate myself to do something I don't want to do, and easy to procrastinate. But it is relatively easy for me to have the willpower not to do something that I do want to do. On the other hand, many people seem to have the opposite problem; they find it relatively easy to do things t…
Anyway I strongly recommend "The power of habit: Why we do what we do, and how to change" which is a scientific investigation into, well, the science of habit, but more importantly the information contained in those pages is highly usable.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Habit-Why-What-Change/dp/18479...
Not to mention the "Don't break the chain" principle, which inadvertently makes you apply the most fundamental principle of good habit building:
"Researchers say we humans have a limited supply of willpower" -- it's an interesting idea but worth noting there are counter-claims. Particularly, it turns out that this may be self-fulfilling prophecy -- people who subscribe to the limited willpower hypothesis tend to run out of willpower more quickly[1] What's interesting here, for those looking to practically increase their willpower, is that treating your willpo…
This whole article would be perfect support for men&women who need a new excuse for their cheating habits.
> I just get so many tempting offers during the day, eventually I had no choice in the matter.
Something I've yet to see explored is the difference between negative and positive willpower. For example, I find it very difficult to motivate myself to do something I don't want to do, and easy to procrastinate. But it is relatively easy for me to have the willpower not to do something that I do want to do. On the other hand, many people seem to have the opposite problem; they find it relatively easy to do things t…
Takes a bow
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just continue teaching people, like you are doing now.
No, that's not the point at all. If it reads as condescending, you didn't pick up on the last few sentences well enough. I've done plenty of stuff that I regret, some of it worse than what I'm sure the average person has done.
The flip side is that we become observers when we don't take any action in fear of affecting the world.
Other times, we may think that there may be a certain consequence, but the actual outcome ends up being considerably different.
Reference experience becomes important at some point -- it ensures that we take action, make mistakes, set boundaries, and live in the world.
You come off intelligent and thoughtful. I'm not sure where you are located but I'd love to connect with you. I'm Sarkis -- skarayan@gmail.com
I do the same. I don't eat chocolate or any other sugar sh*t when I have mangoes, apples, oranges or any other delicious fruit. In Spain we have a selection of fantastic food, like "jamon" or cheese or fish or nuts(don't eat Californias's ones, they don't taste at all, the best nuts are the ugliest and dirty in the outside ones) so I prepare mini dishes in the refrigerator so five times a day I open it and there is s…