Akrasia, or Why You Act Against Your Own Better Judgment
Akrasia: it’s the word of the day. It may be a 25¢ word, but it’s a concept with which we’re all familiar. Essentially, it’s acting against one’s own best interest. We’re not talking here about the noble, altruistic deeds that purposefully put others’ needs before our own. Akrasia encompasses that irrational, confounding state of mind in which we wittingly throw caution, reason, and consequences to the wind in order to pursue a choice we understand will be bad for us. In other words, we know better. In fact, we know pretty much exactly what repercussions will befall us. That chocolate donut in our hand, for example, will undoubtedly cause our IBS to flare up – or have us bemoaning the paunch look later. Staying up late to watch one more episode of Breaking Bad will leave us comatose in tomorrow’s big meeting. Skipping yet another workout keeps us on track to lose all the gains we’ve built up the last few months. Stewing over the day’s stresses and playing out angry scenarios in our heads will keep our kids and partner at arm’s length and us up half the night with stomach pain.
But damned if we don’t make the choice anyway. Why? What’s wrong with us that we go down these roads when we clearly understand the fallout? Is it temporary insanity? Delusion? Just human nature? Can we truly write off our responsibility so easily as that – “hominids will be hominids”? As much as we’re subject to evolutionarily honed instincts, I think we have enough higher order thinking skills to generally pull ourselves back from the brink when we’re so inclined.
Philosophers for millennia have proposed all manner of explanations and parameters for akrasia. We lose our footing in a convoluted jumble of justification gone awry. “Baser” instinctual appetites (e.g. for food, sex, risk) get the better of us. We tell ourselves a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. Emotion trumps logic. We’re weak of will.
Modern science, on the other hand, has illuminated the battle for self-control in its own way. Willpower, experts say, is like a muscle. The more you use it, the stronger it becomes. On the other hand, research also suggests it’s a finite supply each day. The more we resist temptation in a given day, the weaker our will gets as the day goes on. Setting ourselves up for success by avoiding as much temptation as we can and reducing the mental clutter of meaningless decisions (e.g. Should I buy the teddy bear or floral print paper towels?) can go a long way toward avoiding disruptive impulses and conserving our willpower resources.
Nonetheless, I think there’s more here. Akrasia as a state of mind suggests something deeper, perhaps more pervasive in our lives. The concept begs a more intimate study, a more individual inventory. When I’ve talked to readers, clients, and friends about what has held them back from embracing better choices – a better life overall – they offer profoundly personal chronicles. Sure, their accounts can generally be distilled into some core – and common – themes, but the power behind their tales is poignant and personal experience. It’s a story – not an abstraction.
When we examine why we’re occasionally – or not so occasionally – drawn to act against our best interest, I think it’s helpful to know the potential toward akrasia is universal. We’re all subject to the conflicting impulses and better spirits of our human heritage. The complexity that defines our exercise of free will at turns confounds, frustrates, and amazes. Yet, within this theoretical idea we find a more nuanced and telling version of our own journey (sometimes struggle) in cultivating healthy self-interest. If we’ve decided what rational self-interest looks like for our life, what do the forces that contest it look like in our imaginations – relics of the past or ambiguities of the present as they so often are? What shape do they take? What voices do they have?
Part of self-control is self understanding. Knowing the circumstances that test your confidence. Preempting the script that tends to play in your head when life gets tough or you have time on your hands. Only then can you divert the narrative, anticipate your needs, and genuinely tend to your weaknesses before they get the better of you. It’s about understanding within a circumstance that this, too, shall pass. The power to choose in full consciousness today determines who and what ultimately directs your overall life story.
Thanks for reading today, everyone. Let me know your thoughts on today’s concept.
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Posted By: Mark Sisson
I’ve been frustrated lately by my bad choices, and the guilt that goes with it…Choosing to have the buttered bun or the cheesecake…I have the knowledge that Paleo is the best choice for me, I feel so much healthier, calmer, energetic, etc etc, Yet against all logic WHY am I choosing the buttered bun! It tortures me sometimes..
omigosh mark you are really so smart. yes, i have been going through this recently, refusal to do my workouts and some resurgent celiac. i know too much to go in to denial. ugh it is frustrating especially since there seems to be a continued attack on health nuts- that’s my take on it anyway. a refusal to eat many things combined with a focus on exercise- definitely makes you orthorexic. at least to the mainstream ppl.
Great scrabble word, but how does one pronounce it?
In the case of that donut, or any other wheat-based temptation (which I have sitting right in front of me all day at work), it’s worth remembering that some of the products of wheat digestion are categorized as “exorphins;” exogenous substances capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier and exerting the same neurological effects as endorphins. Addictive via the same mechanisms as opiates, though not as intensely.
So it’s worth bearing in mind that you’re not just fighting a craving, in that case: you are fighting an actual chemical addiction. This is not meant to be an excuse for giving in. The better you know your enemy, the better equipped you are to combat it.
Interesting topic.
As a human being, it does seem to me that there is something universal about human beings engaging in behavior that is incongruent with their belief system, goals, and objectives.
We all do it. Or, at least I have yet to meet anyone who is completely free from these tendencies.
I believe that Buddhists would call someone thus freed “enlightened”. But, even earth bound individuals like the Dalai Lama still struggle this way. So, my guess is that totally enlightened individuals are not often encountered in this realm.
On the other hand, as someone with formal training in several related, relevant domains, I can attest to the fact that even the very notion of a “free will” has not yet arrived at consensus.
Philosophers and scientists still study and debate notions like “free will”, “self-deception”, “self- defeating thoughts/behaviors”, and so on.
No consensus has been established regarding the fundamental valence of human nature. One camp believes, as in the Socratic position described in the wikipedia link that Mark shared, that humans are fundamentally good by nature. Thus, the very idea that they would act against their own self interest is illogical/irrational.
Other camps take a dimmer view of human nature. For example, Sigmund Freud – both philosopher and scientist – hypothesized the psycho-sexual stages of human development founded on the notion that humans are all born naturally irrational, selfish, self-destructive and so on – aka the “Id”.
Self-control is just an illusion, anyway, if you listen to the Existentialists. We need to believe that we can actually control anything in life – because life is actually unpredictable and uncontrollable. We all have existential fears about death – the ultimate loss of self control.
So forth and so on – ad nauseum, if you ask me on some days. Other days, not so much.
I tend to take a pragmatic approach to minding my own behavior. While I enjoy the intellectual exercise of debating notions like free will, when it comes to my behavior I don’t expend much time or energy on them. I just realize that I will sometimes act in ways that are incongruent with my goals.
I will also attempt to convince myself otherwise. So, I turn that “self-talk” on its head and use it to convince myself to stick to the plan. I also find viable methods that reduce urges – such as eating primal food reduces and (at least so far) virtually eliminates any urges to eat foods that I believe are bad for my health. I make a focused effort to create good habits that will withstand adverse circumstances.
In other words, I look for ways to set myself up to succeed. If you don’t, you are potentially setting yourself up to fail.
When I have lapses – I don’t waste energy ruminating over it or self-castigating. I just stop. I “boot strap” myself out of these dead ends and get back to doing better. I am always on the look out for new methods, too. Keeps life interesting and busy until I die
.
“If you don’t, you are potentially setting yourself up to fail.”
My poor word choice. Make that, “If I don’t, I am potentially setting myself up to fail.”
Good post and lots of interesting comments!
Related to the first donut comment, and since it hasn’t been explicitly stated I’ll share my method.
As someone who has had strong addictions to sodas/energy drinks…it helped me to take it one day or one decision at a time. To think of each craving as an isolated instance, i.e. ‘All you have to do is say no now’ as opposed to thinking I’m giving it up forever. In addition I would think ‘If you can’t say no now, how will you ever say no later?’. As time went on I started to keep track of how long I had been saying no and making the right decision…the decision becomes automatic(and the cravings decrease).
I also wanted to second the notion of giving up cable! I did this as a college student because I realized it was a sneaky time waster for me and removing the temptation/distraction was one of the best things I did! (Similar to only shopping the perimeter of the grocery store…don’t put the temptation in the house)
Even now my wife and I don’t have cable and we find we’re so much happier with the things we get done. We do watch a lot of movies, but those are finite and count as planned ‘play’. =)
Three words:
Girl
Scout
Cookies
I recently stumbled upon this site (when I say recently, I am referring to last week). I am a Type 1 diabetic, and have devoured the Primal Blueprint book and been eating primally since last Wed or Thursday.
What a difference even a week makes! My insulin requirements (remember, I am Type 1, so will likely always have to inject insulin, as my pancreas no longer has functioning beta cells) have been cut drastically and I have actually lost 5 lbs already (of my 17 total goal). I realize that may sound like too rapid of a weight loss, but I promise you it has happened through strict primal eating!
Then the girl scout cookies arrived on Monday. Mind you, I ordered these in January just to be nice to some coworkers and had every intention of putting them directly in the kitchen for others. Ugh, but those thin mints have always been my weakness and are so darned good. So, despite great blood glucose control and 5 lbs easily melted off, “akrasia” kicked in yesterday and I ate some of those evil little thin mints.
I am appalled at my behavior (and back on track today, thank you very much). But at least now I can put a name to what I am up against! Will power may be a learned behavior for sure, but with results like these, I feel strong enough to flex those will power muscles more often!
OMG, OMG, ROTFL!
I can SOOO relate!
I love those evil little thin mints, too – and its so easy to justify the purchase as helping those cute little scouts….
Those thin mints always triggered food intolerances/allergies for me. Single handedly they can give me a nasty headache. Yet, year after year I persisted in caving in until I figured out ways to stop that cycle.
Anyway, congrats to you on the progress that you’re making! Isn’t it wonderful to discover an effective and delicious way to promote better health – and so quickly and relatively easy, too?
Be careful about devouring books, no matter how hungry you get. They have too much fiber, and are definitely not Primal.
“Staying up late to watch one more episode of Breaking Bad…”
Are you reading my mind??
What a fascinating read, Mark.
How cool there’s a name for this thing we all do. I’ve found it really changes things when we know name for things we do and experience – it makes them real and tangible.
I’ve found that embracing good choices leads to more of the same. Similarly, bad choices (of the akrasia variety) can lead to a slippery slope.
When it comes to nutrition, there’s more to it. So we know from this blog. For example, carbs make you crave carbs. It’s a physiological phenomenon. And there are our own individual “gateway foods” – which you’ve written about. One of mine is chocolate. Eating some makes me want more. Better not to get started. Better to keep myself reigned in. So I’ve found.
Looks like emotional reasons and physiological reasons are in the mix. Makes sense – since we’re made up of a mind and body.
Great post! Going to tweet it now. The world needs to know this stuff!
“So often times it happens that we live our lives in chains
And we never even know we have the key ”
- Already Gone, by the Eagles
People all around me live their lives in some chains. I chose long ago to free myself of them, but freedom doesn’t come without a price, and it’s the price of freedom that prevents most from freeing themselves.
I freed myself from a toxic family – keeping your family at arm’s length is tough, I won’t lie. But it’s worth it if you have one that’s toxic.
I freed myself from a mistaken marriage. Again, a tough road. I’ve quit jobs too. All those decisions that I made in self-interest were tough but so worth it. Those who are not as tough as I am are the lost souls who live their days under other peoples’ and society’s expectations and interests.
That’s not living.
I so agree! Have done those things myself – including casting off those proverbial “Golden Handcuffs” altogether via early retirement.
I like what the author Richard Bach said about family: “Rarely do members of the same family grow up under the same roof.”
Other Bach quotes:
“The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.”
“Allow the world to live as it chooses, and allow yourself to live as you choose.”
“Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they’re yours.”
“Ask yourself the secret of your success. Listen to your answer, and practice it.”
“Avoid problems, and you’ll never be the one who overcame them.”
“Bad things are not the worst things that can happen to us. Nothing is the worst thing that can happen to us!”
Great timing for this post! Just last night I was browsing my favourite forum until 3AM last night when I knew I had to be up by 8. Damn my laptop!
As a relatively new Grokette, I have a few thoughts about this. Every other “diet” or fitness goal I have ever set for myself has barely ever reached takeoff. I look forward for reasons to avoid exercising and cheating. Since starting this three months ago, it has been dramatically the opposite. I am petrified of accidentally eating non-primal food or being in a social situation where I have to eat something I don’t want. The difference is that the primal lifestyle is intensely rewarding. I had trouble sticking to a way of life that did not reward me. Now when I look back on it that way, I’m willing to re-classify myself as a person with the willpower to stay healthy, but poor willpower to things that make me feel bad.
That being said, I am TERRIBLE about staying awake too late, even though the effects are so obvious the next day. With this article in mind, I am going to work on that.
Thanks for everything, Mark.
I was so taken with this will to fail idea that I googled it and came across a recommendation for a book by Dorothea Brande called Wake Up and Live! Has anyone read this? Here’s an excerpt:
Failure indicates that energy has been poured into the wrong channel.
It takes energy to fail. A powerful struggle must be waged against the forces of life and movement in order to remain inert, although this struggle takes place so far beneath the surface of our lives that we do not always become aware of it. Physical inaction is no true sign that life-force is not being burned away. So even the idler is using fuel while they dream.
All that is necessary to break the spell of inertia and frustration is this: Act as if it were impossible to fail. That is the talisman, the formula, the command of right-about-face which turns us from failure towards success.
Success, for any sane adult, is exactly equivalent to doing one’s best. What that best may be, what its farthest reaches may include, we can discover only by freeing ourselves completely from the Will to Fail.
Have not read this book – but it sounds like a good one to put on the reading list. Thanks for sharing.
I was thinking thoughts along these lines when I read the other comments about “will to fail”.
There’s a saying – where mind goes, there energy flows. Its sorta like the saying – whatever we subsidize we get more of. When we invest energy in the idea of failure it makes failure more likely. That’s why I don’t ruminate on lapses. I just stop and boot strap myself into “doing my best”.
Great article! I am very guilty of staying up way too late. But I’m working on it. I think this also helps to highlight why many find it difficult to go primal/paleo. My family, despite knowing how bad it is, chooses to eat terrible food as they are saying how they need to eat better and/or lose weight. There is something in the mind that gets a thrill out of doing what’s wrong. I hope that made sense.
Like
Good timing, as I find that I am getting stronger in my mind to do the right things as the days tick by in this new year.
Akrasia: Giving up what you REALLY want for what you want RIGHT NOW.
Richard from freetheanimal.com posted month or two ago about book called “The Flinch”. It talks much about same things as akrasia. It really helped me see how i talk myself out of things.
Best thing its free, http://www.amazon.com/The-Flinch-ebook/dp/B0062Q7S3S .
Attitude = Priorities = Decisions = Actions = Results.
2 attitudes (spiritual/carnal)
2 priorities (heavenly/worldly)
2 decisions (good/bad)
2 actions (right/wrong)
2 results (blessing/cursing)
Life is much simpler when we realize there are always only 2 choices. Never more, never less.
Interesting…..I like how you put that.
Although, the first one: spiritual/carnal, could mean different things to different people. What exactly do you mean?
Hi, Renee. The verbiage isn’t as important as the principle. For attitudes you could say Humble/Arrogant, Teachablle/Unteachable, etc. The bottom line is approach life knowing there are always only TWO ways to go and it’s a LOT easier to choose the right way. My personal guidance comes from bible doctrine but please note, I do NOT practice a religion!
Did you ever see that Peanuts episode where Charlie Brown goes to see Lucy at her doctor’s stand, and she starts naming things that might be wrong with him, and then she describes “pantophobia” (the fear of everything) and he yells “THAT’S IT!!!” and Lucy goes flying backwards and lands in a pile of snow?
This was like that.
Yes, I’ve see it – and laughed my butt off!
Do you mean that learning about “akrasia” was an “aha” moment for you?
Btw, poor ol’ neurotic Charlie Brown might benefit from a change of “therapist” (stay away from that mean, overly directive, judgmental Lucy!)
Wow, went from reading your post to this article linked from Cranky Fitness:
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/8873/
May be that acting against our own better judgement may be the result of a common parascitic infection! It’s a long article but interesting and worth the read. Maybe a connection with akrasia in some cases?
If you have to rationalize doing it, then you either aren’t ready, or shouldn’t do it at all. Easy way for me to avoid having things sneak up on me.
Another timely article as usual mark. Just got done writing a willpower piece and excited to have this post to link back to!
I think If I hung my rescue inhaler around my neck it would be visible enough to remind me to never eat the chocolate that is in front of me every day at work… I have not had a problem with it until I attempted to lower the fat in my paleo diet.
Great post. Akrasia may be the name for the behavior, but the behavior probably arises from our need to habituate. A new book, by C. Duhigg, “The Power of Habit” is coming out any day now about how habits control so much of our lives. A review mentioned that rats taught one path to a reward food, then switched to other less rewarding paths for even longer, immediately will revert once the old path is opened. It certainly rang true for me: I can go months without veering off my primal path, then one event can send me down that old path. But, at least now it can be a one time event, and not days or weeks worth.
Akrasia…… Sounds a bit too much like Crazy! lol
Either way, I suffer from it, too. It has been a struggle for me all of my adult life.
We are all human and all make choices, always have. This stuff is semi-interesting to read about, but I don’t see the point really. I’m my business, we call this stuff “Gee whiz”
“Gee whiz, there are things going on inside my head!”
So what.
The question “what’s the point” is right on point. I am a management consultant working with a variety of businesses every day. One of the most persistent challenges is staff and management not doing what they know is best. They pay me to tell them what they already know, but don’t do. My completely unscientific estimate is that if everyone in businesses and organizations did what they knew was the most effective, best practices, they would save up to 20% – and put me out of a job.
consider for a moment that you are made of two identities–one that is for something and one that is against this thing, particularly, one that says, “eat it! it will taste good!! just a bite or two won’t hurt!!!” (of course, it’s probably two that a bite or two won’t hurt. the problem is that one leads to two, two leads to three, and very often three leads to very many bites.) the other identity says, “no don’t do that. don’t take that bite. you know it won’t just be one or two bites. it’s not good for you and it proves that you are not looking after yourself and that you are weak.”
my suggestion is that the self that says have a bite or two has a good intent and a poor method. i recommend that you put yourself into this ‘temptation’ identity and feel what it is like to be for the bite(s). as this identity find out what your intent is. here is a sample, “i just want you to enjoy yourself. life is short. i am trying to look after you so that you will feel good and enjoy the moment.”
knowing the good intent of this part of you is helpful but not sufficient. the next step is to establish a conversation between these two selves and to facilitate their relationship so that they can work together as it turns out that they have the same goals but not the same methods or understanding of human nature. the self that wants to say, “no” to the bites has a longer range view and the self that wants to encourage the bites tends to be more pleasure and immediacy oriented. working out their differences and finding ways to align has great possibilities. as well, trying to shut down a part of yourself has implications that are not the best.
enjoy the inner conversation!
‘Akrasia’, eh? It’s been said before; and translated into modern English 400 years ago thus:
For I do not that good which I will; but the evil which I hate, that I do. [Romans 7:15] [Latin]
http://www.drbo.org/x/d?b=drb&bk=52&ch=7&l=15#x