Willpower: Rediscovering Our Greatest Strength

by Roy F. Baumeister

The old advice that things will seem better in the morning has nothing to do with daylight, and everything to do with depletion. A rested will is a stronger will.

Vice delayed may turn out to be vice denied.

The Nothing Alternative

He believed that a professional writer needed to set aside at least four hours a day for his job: “He doesn’t have to write, and if he doesn’t feel like it, he shouldn’t try. He can look out of the window or stand on his head or writhe on the floor, but he is not to do any other positive thing, not read, write letters, glance at magazines, or write checks.”

a. you don’t have to write. b. you can’t do anything else.

One of the most common reasons for the self-control problem is overconfidence in willpower.

which incentives work: a mix of frequent small prizes with occasional big ones.

emphasis on rewards rather than punishment. Instead of feeling as if they’ve failed, the players think that they just haven’t succeeded yet.

we can do it by steadily rewarding ourselves for succes...

People with stronger willpower are more altruistic.

We’re learning, once again, that willpower is the virtue that sets our species apart, and that makes each one of us strong.