The Willpower Instinct

The Willpower Instinct

Adult Nonfiction
Are there substances or activities in your life you have trouble
saying no, or at least not so much, to? I've rarely met the candy I
don't like. For other people it might be fast food, television or
Internet binging, or smoking. Are there aspects of your life, say
clothes size, you've been wanting to change seemingly forever? Are
there projects or activities that bring out the procrastinator in you?
If so, you've probably had people imply that your behavior
indicates a lack of willpower. You've probably told yourself this at
least a gazillion times. I've got some very refreshing news. In The
Willpower Instinct, Kelly McGonigal tells us this elusive quality is
far more complex than the Just Say No crowd would have us believe. As
you read the book you will learn research validated information such as:
*Our prefrontal cortex, the self control part of the brain, has
evolved relatively recently. The more primitive, act on impulse part
of the brain that ensured survival in a world where food was scarce
and predators were tricky is still going strong. It's not that one
side is bad and the other good. They need to be kept imbalance.
*We're a lot more influenced by the people around us that we like to
think. If your family and friends tend to smoke or overest, you are
much more likely to do so. Conversely, identifying with people who
set good examples can strongly fortify resolve.
*Trying to make people feel guilty over a behavior can have unintended
consequences. I think we've all seen what diet researchers named the
"what-the-hell effect". Weight watchers slipping up are more likely
to backslide again, even while deeply regretting their behavior,
because they already blew it. This also goes for other problem
behaviors. Regret leads to giving in to temptation rather than
corrective action.
So what's a less-than-human being to do. McGonigal says learn
about human nature and turn this knowledge to your advantage. She has
organized the book to be practical as well as theoretically sound.
She encourages a reader to pace him/herself, realizing that it's based
on a ten week course, and use each reading to work progressively on
one particular willpower challenge in his/her life. Each of the ten
chapters ends with guiding questions and experiments.
I can also see another value in this book. Knowing more about
the complex forces that guide all our behavior can help us take a
fresh look at people we consider different rather than simply writing
them off. If more of us chose real dialogue over dismissiveness this
country and world would probably be a lot better off.
On a personal note, I cheated a little. With Katie, my lovely middle
child, having just moved out, my reserve of ability to take on a new
challenge (like say my sweet tooth) is very much depleted. So I stuck
with the big life change I was already working on--getting myself into
graduate school in 2015. My bank account is up to $329.59. I'm
starting a small odd jobs business to bring in more money. I have
told quite a few people of my intentions so I have a little village to
keep me accountable.
A great big shout out goes out to all who are sincerely struggling
with flaws and shortcomings.
Julia Emily Hathaway



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