Two States of Will POWER:
Persistence & Flexibility;
Improving
#WillPower may require less emphasis on
#Grit – and more on
#Insight;
The theory of
#EgoDepletion became wildly influential & suggested that every act of
#SelfControl – resisting temptation, focusing attention, managing emotion – taps into the same limited internal resource (the same willpower muscle, if you like).
Once that muscle is fatigued, we’re more prone to impulsivity, distraction and poor decisions.
In a PERSISTENT state or
#LowGear, your brain narrows its focus. You’re more
#GoalDriven, more resistant to distractions and more likely to power through a difficult task.
In a FLEXIBLE state or
#HigherGear, you’re more open to
#AlternativeIdeas, better at integrating new information and more likely to let go of rigid goals.
One promising alternative is
#MetaControlTheory – a framework that makes a conceptual shift away from the idea of ‘
#MentalResources’ to
#MentalModes.
This theory suggests that the brain operates along a
#Continuum between
#TwoCognitiveStates:
#Persistence and
#Flexibility.
You can think of it like a car with two gears:
- PERSISTENCE, is the low gear for
#SteadyClimbing
- FLEXIBILITY, is the high gear for
#Cruising ,
#NewRoutes.
In a
#PersistentState or low gear, your brain narrows its focus. You’re more goal-driven,
more resistant to distractions and more likely to power through a difficult task.
In a
#FlexibleState or higher gear, you’re more open to alternative ideas,
better at integrating new information and more likely to let go of rigid goals.
Alberto De Luca,
#BolognaUniversity.
psyche.co/ideas/no-willpower… via
@psyche_the_mag