Post: #1

To sum up. The original study/meta-analysis seems to have a lot of publication bias. Newer studies/meta-analyses seem to find the effect is either weaker or non existent. They may also suggest that ego depletion is in part due to the placebo effect.

In my experience- ego depletion seems somewhat real- but doesn't explain everything. For instance, there are times where I'm feeling really into something and I can go on and on.

There are also times, probably slightly more often, where I really want to push on(this is likely when I don't like something as much- so I either want to have done it[chores/achievements/work etc], or when I already put in a lot of effort to travel to that place and since I'm already there I want to make the most of it), but I simply "hit a wall". Often pushing through makes me crash. But ego depletion may not be real- so I wonder if that's just psychological/placebo effect, or that maybe it's real but mainly affects things you don't like, or maybe something else altogether.

Post: #2

I think its a real thing that can be exercised like a muscle. Maybe even injured if one endures a crushing defeat in life and lets it get to them badly enough.

Of course I only have my own experiences to base that on, that "willpower" book that floats around makes a pretty good case for it.

Post: #3

Never heard of such a study until now.

There are a lot of factors that go into such a hypothesis. "Willpower" is a vague metric that can be affected by someone's upbringing, genetics, diet, lifestyle, environment, etc.

Someone may feel "drained of willpower" simply because they are tired and did not eat proper nutrients throughout the day. They may also feel that way because they were never brought up to work hard and put in a lot of effort in life. Some people are experienced multi-taskers, and some people are extremely focused over long-term single tasks. Some people are more physically adept while others may be more mentally proficient. A lot of these characteristics are also things that can be learned/trained. Chemical and hormonal imbalances will also play a part in this.

There are just so many variables that govern a person's willpower, including motive.

Post: #4

A wiki article on the original concept: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_depletion

Quote:Ego depletion refers to the idea that self-control or willpower draw upon a limited pool of mental resources that can be used up.[1] When the energy for mental activity is low, self-control is typically impaired, which would be considered a state of ego depletion. In particular, experiencing a state of ego depletion impairs the ability to control oneself later on. A depleting task requiring self-control can have a hindering effect on a subsequent self-control task, even if the tasks are seemingly unrelated. Self-control plays a valuable role in the functioning of the self on both individualistic and interpersonal levels. Ego depletion is therefore a critical topic in experimental psychology, specifically social psychology, because it is a mechanism that contributes to the understanding of the processes of human self-control.

The word "ego" in "ego depletion" is used in the psychological sense rather than the colloquial sense.

Post: #5

Yeah, I've repeated the "willpower is finite" thing myself, but when it comes down to it, I often behave as if it doesn't apply to me. I find I generally have a lot of success attacking a handful of new habits at once, and I find the more I control myself in one area the more discipline I can take to other areas of my life (often those other changes seem to ocurr without even "trying"). So, to me willpower often feels like an energy that really snowballs fast as I put it to use - unlike a muscle, I don't have to wait for it to get stronger.

Also, if you think about it, the whole idea of a morning routine seems to fly in the face of the finite willpower concept. Many people do their morning routine with the idea that they're "stoking the fire." That by starting off the morning with a healthy breakfast and some excercise, they're more likely to have a productive day and continue to make healthy choices as the day goes on.

I definitely find I'm more likely to eat like crap later in the day if I have a shitty breakfast and more likely to eat healthy dinner if I have a healthy breakfast, but if you believe the idea of "finite willpower," that doesn't really make sense.

Beyond All Seas

"The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe.
To be your own man is a hard business. If you try it, you'll be lonely often, and sometimes
frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself." - Kipling

Post: #6

At 2'50" into the video the narrator says: [There is some evidence that] “Your beliefs about willpower actually influence the effect of ego depletion” and then goes onto say how in a later test students that read a questionnaire implying will power is infinite had better results when under a heavy work load. So it seems that even if will power is diminished by putting it to the test, reading uplifting, empowering written materials can measurably boost it up again. This is why I often start the day with a powerful piece of positive non-fiction. It gives me on-point clarity as the initial thought of the day. Much like a good nutritious breakfast does for the body. I ensure the first thing I read is not some controversial news item, or some dreamy fiction which can send my mind into a headspin or rage, or back to sleep. This technique has been working for me for a long time now and I really recommend it.

Post: #7

Willpower. Hmm. I may have to read up the man who should know about it, Schopenhauer and his greatest work: "The World as Will and Representation".

Post: #8

Has anyone posited Ego depletion as a concept before modern psychology? If there was an antique text which talked about it, it'd give credibility since you'd demonstrate it's a robust cross-cultural appraisal of human behavior and not just the fancy of soc-psych nancy.

Right now I'm p. sure it's pure bullshit.

Post: #9

I think there is definitely something to be said for "executive control" being limited, those networks get "fatigued" like a muscle, etc.

Willpower is tricky because as soon as you start to build a habit, you change your expectations and emotions around it. You can even change those before taking action, with things like visualization. Once something becomes enjoyable/desirable/associated with positive affect, it's a lot easier to continue with even if it requires significant "anti-habit" effort.

Perhaps it's really "effort in the face of negative emotions" that is limited.

Even then, it's probably trainable and extendable with exercises that improve executive control, e.g. dual-n-back, etc.