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Why Self-Discipline is so Hard
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Key Ideas
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The virtue of self-control
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Defining self-discipline
We associate this process with some sort of "will" or "willpower", though what these really mean is not that obvious.
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Making decisions
The difficulty thus lies in delaying gratification.
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Behind decision-making
But the most immediate cause of any of our actions can be traced back to our brain activity.
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The role of dopamine
Some specific cues found in our environment hint to a potential reward and dopamine starts to raise anticipation. So dopamine is the one responsible to make us take action towards a specific goal.
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Dopamine and rewards
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Self-discipline and habits
To change a habit, both we and the environment have to change, and that's why self-discipline is so hard.
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The role of education
An individual can be changed through education.
We have so little control over the biology that determines our desires. But the part of our biology that is more malleable is our brain.
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The product of our environment
By acknowledging this, we can start finding alternative opportunities for learning and for satisfying our needs.
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SIMILAR ARTICLES & IDEAS:
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First Principles
First Principles: Not A New Idea
Thinking from first principles is not a new idea. It's actually the single most consistent factor among great thinkers.
For example, Aristotle believed that you could not possess true knowledge without first understanding the first principles. He thought that everything could be divided into categories and sub-categories (the smallest of them being the equivalent for first principles).
Reason And Experience
An empiricist is a person that believed all true knowledge is based and obtained through experience.
The process of seeking knowledge through experience and making use of reason to give it structure it how we can find the first principles of a subject.
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The People Pleaser
A Type Of Lie
And we do it not to obtain some sort of advantage over someone, but because we deeply fear the annoyance and dissatisfaction of the people around us.
Origins Of People Pleasing
To survive, we decide to be responsive to what others expect us to do and be, leaving aside what we really want.
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Denying Your Own Creativity
That’s a self-imposed and self-limiting belief. Stop that.
Creativity is a requirement for problem-solving and we all problem-solve. Acknowledge that you're inherently creative,
Being Afraid Of Being Wrong
We hate being wrong, but mistakes often teach us the most and allow us to innovate.
Think of the pros and cons of trying something and then free yourself to do it. If it doesn't work, take what you learn, and try something else.
Being Too "Serious"
The persona of the fool allows the truth to be told, without the usual ramifications that might come with speaking against social conventions. Give yourself permission to be a fool and see things for what they really are.