Post on 12-Aug-2015
These achievements are possible thanks to two contributors:
The brain’s elasticity(*)
(*) See my previous presentation on this topic.
Willpower
Our brain has developed strategies to satisfy the primary needs of any living species :
Surviving Reproducing
Let’s call the part of our brain that manages these instinctual behaviors to satisfy primary needs, the warm brain.
Let’s call the part of our brain that manages the analytical and cognitive capabilities, the cold brain.
The warm brain will select chocolate, as it will procure more sugar, thus producing more energy to survive.
The cold brain will select the apple, as it is healthier for long term survival and there is no immediate danger of starvation.
Knowing that willpower is a
standard cognitive
capability, we can deduce
several of its characteristic
s.
Secondly, instinctual behaviors are different depending on the context and domain (thus, the strategy to control them too).
It means that some people have good willpower in some domains and others, bad. Willpower is not a global or constant quality in people.
Cognitive activities consume energy. The more control used to manage impulsion, the more energy that is consumed.
Thus, don’t use your willpower for too many things. You must allow your brain to rest after intense use of willpower.
Summary- 4 Things to Know:We have different susceptibility towards willpower.
We have the same capability to improve
our willpower.
There is no one willpower but different willpowers depending on the kind of impulse to control.
Willpower consumes
energy.
The network of activated neurons can be changed through experiences. It is the elasticity of the brain.
The more the network of neurons are activated, the less it requires resources to be activated.
When we use a strategy to control a certain impulse for the first
time, it requires a lot of energy.
Then, when you have made a habit of this behavior, it doesn’t require as much intense energy.
So, if you want to improve your willpower for a particular behavior, you should:
Identify the stimulus activating your instinctual answers coming from the warm brain.
Propose an alternative behavior to this stimulus.
Make it a habit by repeating the alternative behavior.