Book Byte #322 "Willpower" by Roy F. Baumeister

Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength

📣 Curious Quotes from the Author

“What stress really does, though, is deplete willpower, which diminishes your ability to control those emotions.”

“For most of us, though, the problem is not a lack of goals but rather too many of them.”

“The best way to reduce stress in your life is to stop screwing up.”

“Among university professors, for example, getting tenure is a major hurdle and milestone, and at most universities tenure depends heavily on having published some high-quality, original work. One researcher, Bob Boice, looked into the writing habits of young professors just starting out and tracked them to see how they fared. Not surprisingly, in a job where there is no real boss and no one sets schedules or tells you what to do, these young professors took a variety of approaches. Some would collect information until they were ready and then write a manuscript in a burst of intense energy, over perhaps a week or two, possibly including some long days and very late nights. Others plodded along at a steadier pace, trying to write a page or two every day. Others were in between. When Boice followed up on the group some years later, he found that their paths had diverged sharply. The page-a-day folks had done well and generally gotten tenure. The so-called “binge writers” fared far less well, and many had had their careers cut short. The clear implication was that the best advice for young writers and aspiring professors is: Write every day. Use your self-control to form a daily habit, and you’ll produce more with less effort in the long run.”

“the unconscious is asking the conscious mind to make a plan.”

“The clear implication was that the best advice for young writers and aspiring professors is: Write every day. Use your self-control to form a daily habit, and you’ll produce more with less effort in the long run.”

“However you define success—a happy family, good friends, a satisfying career, robust health, financial security, the freedom to pursue your passions—it tends to be accompanied by a couple of qualities.”

“Restraining sexual impulses takes energy, and so does creative work. If you pour energy into your art, you have less available to restrain your libido.”

“lock yourself into a virtuous path.”

“When you pick your battles, look beyond the immediate challenges and put your life in perspective. Are you where you want to be? What could be better?”

📚 Cognition of the Book’s Big Idea

Willpower is not a theoretical idea. It's actually connected to our biology. With this knowledge, researchers may now examine the advantages and disadvantages of willpower to learn more about how to use it most efficiently.

Until Tomorrow,
Jason (Founder Club255)