Mindcoolness

A Cool Mind for a Full Life

  • Blog
  • Book
  • Videos
  • Glossary
  • About
  • Contact

The Pleasure of Willpower and the Lie of Delayed Gratification

February 22, 2022 Dominic Reichl

Last week I wrote about radically embracing life in the present moment. Today I want to emphasize that this is not the same as living for the moment without regard for long-term consequences.

This might be hard for some to understand, because most people see self-discipline as the eschewal of current pleasures. With willpower, they assume, one sacrifices short-term pleasure for the sake of a bigger pleasure in the future. So they feed their dreams and hopes with the idea of delayed gratification while disregarding the reality of the present moment—often, alas, with meager consistency to little avail.

If you focused instead on your acts of will as they offer themselves at any moment, rather than on your hopes and dreams, you would be more effective. You would even see that current pleasures need not be sacrificed for future pleasures. Exerting willpower immediately puts you in a state of freedom, which is itself a form of pleasure, so that you are not forgoing present pleasure, but substituting it by another type that is much more consistent.

Granted, the pleasure of doing your will may be less intense and more subtle than the gratification you are deferring, but you can train yourself to experience it more strongly. And while hopes and dreams form an emotional desire that pulls your mind into the future, the power of your will, though structured by goals and values, need not distract you from the present reality.

Thus, living in the present moment does not undermine self-discipline through subjugation to short-term pleasure, for it can involve a shift in pleasure that accompanies willpower. Doing what you truly want is gratifying in itself.

Continue Reading

  • What It Means to Be Free
  • Willpower Condensed

Blog personal-development, willpower

Latest Post

Newsletter

Please check your inbox to confirm your subscription.

Copyright © 2022 • Content Disclaimer • Privacy Policy • Affiliate Disclosure • About
Dear reader, this website uses cookies for analytical purposes. We'll assume you're ok with it, but you can opt-out if you wish.
OK Give me more information.
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
Posting....