The causal relationship between willpower and diet is reciprocal: We need self-control to eat healthy, and we need to eat healthy to have good self-control. The first relationship is obvious, but what's the biological mechanism by which an unhealthy diet destroys willpower? Inflammation We typically think of inflammation as our immune system's response to physical injury or infection that causes redness, heat, pain, and swelling. But inflammation has cognitive and motivational effects as well. … [Read more...]
Will Vs. Flow: Can You Force Yourself to Do Something?
A common distinction between Western and Eastern philosophy concerns the importance of will. While Western philosophy emphasizes the power of will, Eastern philosophy highlights effortless action. Force versus flow You can force yourself to be courageous in the face of fear, to work without procrastinating, to persist despite exhaustion, and to suppress adverse emotions. But what does it actually mean to force yourself to do something? Consider first that you can't force your body to do … [Read more...]
Why Mindcoolness Is a Masculine State of Mind
1. Mindcoolness = Low Mental Noise Let us being by defining mindcoolness as mental tranquility. In a state of mindcoolness, you can reliably process information because you are not distracted by frantic thoughts and adverse emotions. The cooler your mind, the clearer you can think—less noise disturbs your thinking process. Mindcoolness as mental tranquility is a lack of mental noise. In cognitive science, the term "mental noise" describes a decreased reliability of information processing. … [Read more...]
6 Ways How Alcohol Weakens Your Will
Caution: The following lines are a note to myself, not a judgment of others. 1. Alcohol weakens your will by impairing prefrontal functioning and thus self-control. 2. Alcohol weakens your will by dimming the focus on your goal and plan to achieve it. 3. Alcohol weakens your will by dulling the decision-making processes needed for leading groups and women. 4. Alcohol weakens your will by undermining opportunities to improve your social skills and core confidence. 5. Alcohol … [Read more...]
Can We Build Willpower like a Muscle?
The Muscle Analogy of Self-Control In my book Willpower Condensed, I wrote that we can strengthen our will like a muscle: Track the food you eat or improve your posture for two weeks and you'll be more tenacious at holding a handgrip. Stick to an exercise plan or keep track of your spending for two months and you'll have more willpower to resist distraction. Use your non-dominant hand for everyday activities or monitor your language for two weeks and you'll increase your puzzle-solving … [Read more...]
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