Consciousness and the Brain

#27 — Is Willpower Like Muscle Power? with Roy F. Baumeister


Listen Later

How do we regulate our impulsive emotions, resist temptation, break bad habits, and come up to our best potential - and why do we sometimes run short? Is willpower anything like muscle power? 

 

In this episode, we welcome prominent social psychologist Roy F. Baumeister, who has published some 700 scientific works, including 40 books. A recipient of many awards, in 2013 Roy received the highest award given by the Association for Psychological Science, the William James Fellow award, in recognition of his lifetime achievements.

 

Roy has studied major aspects of the self, the pros and cons of self-esteem, and why it is so hard to do mentally effortful tasks, like studying long hours for a math exam. He is especially known for his work on willpower, self-control, ego depletion, and the dark side of self esteem — how these factors relate to human morality and life success, and can even trigger interpersonal violence.

 

Talking Points

 

  • 0:00 - Intro 
  • 04:44 - Is mental effort (willpower) analogous to a muscle?
  • 09:32 - Eating glucose can help restore mental energy. 
  • 20:50 -  “Ego Depletion” is another useful analogy. 
  • 24:32 - The Practical Implications of Baumeister’s Work.
  • 34:27 -  Practice can make mental effort easier. 
  • 45:24 - Is Free Will an illusion? A scientific view. 
  • 54:46 - Self-esteem without achievement is a trap.
  •  

    Links

     

    — Website and Social Media —

    Website: https://bernardbaars.com/

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/BernardJBaars

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BernardJBaars/

    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardjbaars/

    YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BernardBaarsOnConsciousness

    Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baarslab/?hl=en

     

    — Roy F. Baumeister —

    Personal Website: https://roybaumeister.com/

    Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roy_Baumeister

    Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ShSEUuoAAAAJ&hl=en

    Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwlDLe6O7NE

    Books on Amazon:

    https://www.amazon.com/stores/Roy-F.-Baumeister/author/B001H6IAJY?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

     

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Consciousness and the BrainBy Bernard Baars, PhD | Nautilus Press Publishing Group

    • 4.3
    • 4.3
    • 4.3
    • 4.3
    • 4.3

    4.3

    11 ratings


    More shows like Consciousness and the Brain

    View all
    This American Life by This American Life

    This American Life

    91,031 Listeners

    Radiolab by WNYC Studios

    Radiolab

    43,855 Listeners

    The Joe Rogan Experience by Joe Rogan

    The Joe Rogan Experience

    229,444 Listeners

    Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

    Hidden Brain

    43,545 Listeners

    Pod Save America by Crooked Media

    Pod Save America

    87,706 Listeners

    The Daily by The New York Times

    The Daily

    112,752 Listeners

    The Shawn Ryan Show by Shawn Ryan

    The Shawn Ryan Show

    45,351 Listeners

    So Supernatural by Audiochuck | Crime House

    So Supernatural

    22,969 Listeners

    People I (Mostly) Admire by Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher

    People I (Mostly) Admire

    2,085 Listeners

    Dark Downeast by Audiochuck

    Dark Downeast

    4,431 Listeners

    The Rest Is History by Goalhanger

    The Rest Is History

    14,680 Listeners

    Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

    Huberman Lab

    29,156 Listeners

    Short History Of... by NOISER

    Short History Of...

    2,809 Listeners

    Expanding on Consciousness by Monroe Institute

    Expanding on Consciousness

    157 Listeners

    The Mel Robbins Podcast by Mel Robbins

    The Mel Robbins Podcast

    19,802 Listeners