You have likely run into the concept of “ego depletion” that has been popular in the dieting world. However, now this concept is being questioned. New studies either fail to replicate original findings or find that researchers may have jumped to erroneous conclusions.
Is willpower a limited resources that you can use up, or is it an emotion that flows depending on the situation? What can we apply to our lives from this new questioning?
Read further to find out if “the ego-depletion theory’s proverbial cookie has begun to crumble”?
New studies suggest that we’ve been thinking about willpower all wrong, and that the theory of ego depletion isn’t true. Even worse, holding on to the idea that willpower is a limited resource can actually be bad for you, making you more likely to lose control and act against your better judgment.
Nir Eyal is the author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products and blogs at NirAndFar.com.
The Truth About Willpower | The Week