Willpower: 8 key ideas
The core ideas of Willpower, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.
- IDEA 1 OF 8
Self-control predicts success in life
Baumeister and Tierney argue that self-control, along with intelligence, is one of the strongest predictors of a good life.
People who manage impulses tend to do better at school, work, health and relationships.
- IDEA 2 OF 8
Willpower can run low
The book presents research on ego depletion: using self-control on one task seemed to leave people with less for the next.
The authors compare willpower to a muscle that can tire with use. Later studies have debated how strong this effect is.
- IDEA 3 OF 8
Glucose and self-control are linked
The authors describe studies linking self-control with the brain's energy supply.
They suggest that hunger and tiredness weaken willpower, which helps explain why people make worse choices when they skip meals or sleep poorly.
- IDEA 4 OF 8
Too many decisions wear you down
The book describes decision fatigue: after making many choices, people tend to take shortcuts or avoid deciding.
The authors mention a study of parole judges whose rulings seemed to shift as sessions went on without breaks.
- IDEA 5 OF 8
Willpower can be strengthened
Like a muscle, willpower may grow with practice, the authors suggest.
Small regular exercises in self-control, such as improving posture or speech habits, appeared in studies to build strength for other challenges.
- IDEA 6 OF 8
Monitor what you want to change
Tracking behaviour, whether spending, eating or time, is a powerful aid to self-control.
The authors argue that what gets monitored tends to improve, because awareness makes it harder to drift without noticing.
- IDEA 7 OF 8
Commit in advance to avoid temptation
Instead of resisting temptation in the moment, the authors recommend precommitment: arranging things beforehand so the wrong choice is harder.
Like a sailor tied to the mast, you remove options before willpower is tested.
- IDEA 8 OF 8
The best self-control avoids battles
People with strong self-control, the authors note, use it less often in crises.
They build routines and habits that avoid temptation altogether, saving willpower for situations where it is truly needed.
Get one idea like this every daySwipe through ideas, go deeper on any of them, and save the ones that matter. Free.
Read Willpower in the app