Smooth Motions

Limits to self-control April 3, 2008

Interesting editorial in yesterday’s NYT about limits to self-control includes a list of activities that deplete willpower:

“The brain’s store of willpower is depleted when people control their thoughts, feelings or impulses, or when they modify their behavior in pursuit of goals. Psychologist Roy Baumeister and others have found that people who successfully accomplish one task requiring self-control are less persistent on a second, seemingly unrelated task.”

<snip>

“Other activities that deplete willpower include resisting food or drink, suppressing emotional responses, restraining aggressive or sexual impulses, taking exams and trying to impress someone. Task persistence is also reduced when people are stressed or tired from exertion or lack of sleep.”

Would an implication of this be that apatheia, along with the deliberate avoidance of “kinetic” pleasures (two things a stoic might recommend) could inhibit the virtue of self-control (or sophrosune, etc.)? The article concludes on a seemingly pro-stoical point:

“Whatever the explanation, consistently doing any activity that requires self-control seems to increase willpower — and the ability to resist impulses and delay gratification is highly associated with success in life.”

Ya, Ya. Doing virtuous acts promotes virtue. But if focusing on it causes stress and loss of sleep and deprivations of small pleasures, etc., then becoming a stoic stage might be inimical to a central virtue.

Citation: SANDRA AAMODT and SAM WANG, ‘Tighten your belt, strengthen your mind’, NYT 2008-04-02.