The Science of Willpower

Secrets for self-control without suffering.

by Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D.

The Self-Control Costs of Moral Flexibility

By Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D. on August 3, 2009 in The Science of Willpower

Which takes more self-control? Lying well or telling the truth?Your answer might say a lot about how trustworthy you are. According to a recent study by Harvard psychologists, telling the truth is the more challenging of the two-but only for those who are also willing to cheat. Read More

I certainly agree that it's a

Submitted by Anonymous on August 8, 2009 - 6:22pm.

I certainly agree that it's a lot easier to make a decision once (I will go running immediately after getting up every morning, no exceptions) than to struggle with it every time the choice presents itself. However, I worry that by suggesting that people use this as a general strategy, you're advocating black-and-white thinking of a kind that has caused me a lot of trouble. I made exactly these kinds of rules when I first went on a diet, and partly because my rules were so rigid - there is NO excuse for not running, including feeling sick, plans with friends, injury, etc etc - this led me straight into an eating disorder. Once it turns into an issue of "if I don't run today, I'll be a person who doesn't exercise consistently", it's hard to adjust to unexpected circumstances without feeling terribly guilty. And then if you do skip the running (or whatever) it's a lot harder to get back on track, because now you haven't just failed at running today, you've failed at your larger decision to run every single day - and if you've already failed, then why run tomorrow? Personally, I'd rather struggle more with willpower and preserve some of my ability to make flexible decisions that reflect my needs in the moment.