3890: This is What Most People Get Wrong About Willpower by Nir Eyal of Nir And Far on Behavioral Myths

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Episode 3890:

Nir Eyal challenges the popular belief that willpower is a limited resource and reveals how this mindset can sabotage our ability to stay disciplined. Backed by research from Carol Dweck and Michael Inzlicht, the article reframes willpower as an emotion that fluctuates and can be managed, not something we "run out" of. Shifting this perspective can help us build resilience, make better decisions, and stop using "lack of willpower" as an excuse to quit.

Read along with the original article(s) here: https://www.nirandfar.com/about-willpower/

Quotes to ponder:

"Believing we do [run out of willpower] makes us less likely to accomplish our goals, by providing a rationale to quit when we could otherwise persist."

"Ego-depletion is essentially caused by self-defeating thoughts and not by any biological limitation."

"Rather than telling ourselves we failed because we're somehow deficient, we should offer self-compassion by speaking to ourselves with kindness when we experience setbacks."

Episode references:

Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs: https://www.jsad.com

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences: https://www.pnas.org

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