Holier than thou?
 

If that's what I conveyed than you have my apologies. I'm not quite sure what to make of your post. Are you trying to make a point in general or just to me?

Re: Willpower Exercises
 

Someone who must eat only carrots for dinner may fail at that too if their willpower is insufficient, and as they eat pizza they will likely rationalize that it was a stupid idea in the first place (even though when they first embraced it they knew that it wasn't). For such backsliders, the next appropriate step could be to eat only carrots for the entire next day. Alternatively, a single meal of some disliked food might serve the equivalent purpose.


The value of keeping promises to one's self cannot be easily underestimated, and indeed may often be a determining factor in whether or not one succeeds in any given endeavor (or even in life itself).


A carrot and stick approach, employed on a regular basis, may help to gradually bring this principle of keeping promises to one's self into the realm of habit ; from whence it may eventually blossom into a full-fledged virtue . It is probably one of the most important virtues a person may possess, yet for almost everyone, one of the most difficult to acquire.


I'd be out the door straightway to find a Ms. Pac-Man machine (yippee! --haven't played in years), but instead I have to play more poker (which has been going pretty well since June when I gave up my addiction to Internet Chess, DiabloII, and heavy Surfing. I blame mid-life crisis and depressive tendencies for that--along with some lack of willpower).


I rather like carrots, but if I were to keep a few anchovies around, there would not exist any significant temptation to spend much time on any game but poker. The mere thought of a meal of anchovies is truly terrifying. The $20-$40 has been going pretty well, and it's really more fun anyway to be playing a game at a level I can beat (having plateaued at chess and diablo).


A more general question: why do people, even intelligent people, so frequently make illogical choices of actions in life or in simple affairs of daily living--why is the desire for short-term gratification so strong in humans? I know you once wrote something to the effect that you once thought that if the logical part of a person's mind was strong enough it would prevent the emotional part from making, say, unwise impulsive choices. I would guess that you have somewhat amended this view if you had ever held it completely. Ability to think helps, but why does the conflict seem so great at times, and why does it seem that everyone succumbs on occasion or even often? And what of the possiblility of developing, through training, a truly infallible willpower? Can any human do this (or would they have to eat carrots in ever-increasing quantities;-)?

Re: Willpower Exercises
 

'why do people, even intelligent people, so frequently make illogical choices of actions in life or in simple affairs of daily living--why is the desire for short-term gratification so strong in humans?'


i think it might be because gratification of our instincts leads to procreation and surivial of the species.


its interesting to note that this implies that at one time at least selection of a sexual partner was of absolutely no importance compared to having any (first available) sexual partner.


brad