This is the fifth segment in a series on Reason
We all spend A LOT of time (and energy) trying to control ourselves. A recent study suggests that we spend nearly one-fifth of our waking time resisting compelling impulses. That's 3-4 hours a day!
We often waste unnecessary mental energy on situations that are overwhelming and tempting, also known as “emergency cases.” Emergency cases drain our energy, requiring us to resist things we really desire (like delicious food, new purchases, or illicit romance.)
Using willpower to resist immediate temptation depletes energy that could otherwise be channeled toward more productive efforts. Once we become mentally drained, we can't weigh options as carefully. Usually we become either passive (do nothing), or more impulsive (succumb to primitive impulses like inertia, greed, or lust).
When people lose access to reason, they can “snap” - losing self-restraint and becoming illogical. Consider, for example, the public meltdowns of Mel Gibson or Donald Trump. Or, the recently disclosed affair of General Petraeus.
While reason has amazing superpowers, it is not invincible.
Reason is your evolutionarily youngest aspect- it is the most immature and finicky. Research has shown that even expert decision makers like parole judges adjudicate best in the morning, before their mental reserves are depleted. When judges make parole decisions later in the day they incline heavily toward the status quo and inertia. Thus, it is good to remember that reason is not always up for heavy lifting, even among experts.
We see mental fatigue in all walks of life ranging from business executives to people caring for children or the sick. We experience it when we become overwhelmed by too many decisions, temptations, and plans. Even presumedly joyful events like planning a wedding or remodeling a house can become unpleasant because they sap mental energy (self-restraint, logical processing, decision making) needed elsewhere.
How to best to use reason’s super gadgets?
Most of us use reason’s gadgets more than we know. You may be surprised at how much of your day is spent using different types of mental energy. Take stock of all the ways in which you drain energy from reasons’ power.
Willpower entails controlling your automatic responses to your:
- Thoughts (trying to ignore or “turn off” a plaguing thought, memory, song, or image)
- Emotions (trying to suppress emotional reactions )
- Drives (resisting urges to eat, sleep, relax, have sex, be social, read, surf web, etc.)
- Attention Demands (focusing you attention and awareness on a needed task, managing time, persevering despite lack of interest)
Logic requires you to:
- Gather information
- Consider future possibilities
- Weigh options
- Keep emotions at bay
Decision-making requires you to make choices. For example:
- What you wear and eat
- What route you take to work
- What you choose on behalf of others (at work, for dependents, for your community or other organizations)
- Your leisure time (plans with friends, choosing TV shows or books, selecting vacations)
- Finances (establishing priorities like what you need versus what you want, savings versus spending; allocating resources to different family members or areas of life)
Tricks for handling emergencies:
- Distract yourself from urges
- Removing yourself from a situation
- Offer yourself a “bribe” that involves rewarding yourself with something else in the future.
- Try substituting new responses that might satisfy your physical or social urges
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