The Willpower Instinct

by Kelly McGonigal, PhD

Table of Contents:

Introduction
Week One: I will, I won’t, I want: What Willpower Is, and Why it Matters
Week Two: The Willpower Instinct: Your Body Was Born to Resist Cheesecake
Week Three: Too Tired to Resist: Why Self-Control is Like a Muscle

Note before starting: The book suggests picking out a certain willpower challenge to work on as
you read through it. If you want to follow along with these notes, I think it would be best to do
the same. Think of something you want to improve on that requires willpower, and make that
your self improvement project. As detailed below these can be “I will”, “I won’t”, or the more
complex “I want” challenges. Mine will be running and waking up early. Anyway, enough from
me!

Introduction
● This book is based on a Stanford class
○ Class has been very successful in the past, even involved in court orders at
times
● People cite lack of Willpower (WP) as one of the #1 things holding them back
● This book combines scientific research with the insights of students in the class

● To succeed at self control (SC) you need to learn how to fail

○ The best way to improve self control is to see/understand why you lose control
● Being overly optimistic is bad
○ You can’t see your own flaws and predict times of difficulty
○ True/Honest self knowledge is the foundation of good self control
● Therefore, the book looks at the common SC/WP failures
○ Autopsies them -> Finds ways to resist
● Struggles with WP are part of the human condition

● How to use this book: Become a WP scientist

○ Study yourself as you read
○ Lots of self examination and reflection will be needed
○ Not every strategy will work for you
○ Find challenges to actually test the theories on
 ● There are 2 types of challenges (with a bonus 3rd)
○ I will challenges
■ Doing things that you normally put off/ignore
● eg: studying early, running
○ I won’t challenges
■ Refraining from negative activity
● eg:dieting, not overspending
○ I want challenges
■ Much more complicated, so probably best to leave alone for right now
● Pick a more complex goal, work towards it
○ Will involves wills/won’ts
● Take your time!
○ You could read the book quickly
○ That’s ok
○ However, the pacing is based on the original course
○ 1 week per chapter is the best pace

Week One: I will, I won’t, I want: What Willpower Is,

and Why it Matters
● Introduction
○ I will and I won’t are the two sides of self control
■ However, you need a 3rd thing beyond will/won’t power
■ You have to know what you really want
● And it isn’t a brownie
○ I want power is also critical
■ Therefore WP is really 3 sided
○ Fortunately, we have these 3 powers
● Why we have WP
○ Fundamentally, WP was critical to healthy tribal dynamics
■ Don’t steal food, mates, be too aggressive, etc.
○ As the world and society became more complex the demands of WP grew
● Why it matters now
○ WP distinguishes people
○ Strong WP = Good life
○ Statistically, WP is one of the best (if not best) determinants of success
■ High WP = better leaders, better marriages, everything
● The Neuroscience of I will, I won’t, and I want
○ WP stems from the prefrontal cortex
■ Used to control voluntary physical movement
■ Has grown massively in humans
 ■ Now also in charge of willpower
■ Biases you to do the harder thing
● In charge of I will/won’t/want

Microscope:
Think of your challenge. What is the harder thing? Why is it hard? How do you feel when you
think about it?

● A Mind-Blowing Case of WP Lost

○ So what happens when you lose the prefrontal cortex?
○ Phineas Gage
■ Was described as a man of iron will
■ However, suffered a construction accident which destroyed his prefrontal
cortex
■ Lost all WP
● Completely incapable of exercising WP
■ Truly changed him as a man
○ Certain states mimic brain damage in the prefrontal cortex
■ Being drunk, sleep deprived, highly distracted
● Each diminishes activity in the prefrontal cortex which in turn
diminishes WP
○ However, even if your prefrontal cortex is running at 100%... you aren’t out of the
woods
● The Problem of Two Minds
○ The system of self control was put on top of old systems, it didn’t actually replace
them
○ We still have all of our ancient cravings/impulses
○ We have impulse and impulse control
○ Almost like having two minds/selves

Microscope: Meet Your Two Minds

Think of your challenge, what do the two parts of your mind want? Consider naming your
impulsive self and impulse control self. This will help you identify them more easily, and make
grappling with their competing drives a less muddied/confusing process

● The Value of Both Selves

○ Yes, the primitive impulse self can be frustrating
○ However, it is still critical today
○ In some cases it works with the prefrontal cortex
■ eg. High prices can stimulate a pain response, making one less likely to
overspend
● The First Rule of WP: Know Thyself
○ Self awareness is uniquely human
■ Can know how we will react to situations ahead of time
 ○ Self awareness lets you recognize when you need WP
○ This is important because most decisions stem from habit, so awareness lets us
avoid that when necessary
○ Distraction really hurts WP for this reason
■ You lose your self awareness when distracted
■ Stanford marketing experiment:
● 50% more likely to choose chocolate over fruit when remembering
a phone number
○ Don’t be distracted when using WP!

Experiment: Track Willpower Choices

Track every single one of your WP choices for a day. Be sure to look for the subtle ones as well!
This tracking will prevent you from becoming distracted. Make a note of those decisions which
helped or undermined your goals. This is important because the first step is to track what are
causing the impulses that undermine your goals. Learn the cues and where they come from.

● Train your brain for WP

○ The brain physically changes based on experiences
○ You can train WP physically
○ The best way to train WP is...
○ Meditation
■ Meditation increases the concentration of gray matter in the prefrontal
cortex over time
● Improves physical WP capacity
■ So, just do it.

Experiment: Meditate
Breath focus is a simple and powerful meditation technique. Here is how to do it in a nutshell:
1. Sit still and stay put
a. Sit in a chair with your feet on the ground or with crossed legs on a cushion.
Don’t fidget, don’t scratch itches, don’t move! Staying still is a huge part of why it
helps WP, as you learn not to follow every impulse your brain throws out.
2. Turn your attention to your breath
a. Close your eyes or focus on a single spot (like a blank wall). Begin to notice your
breath. Silently in your mind say “inhale” as you breathe in and “exhale” as you
breathe out. When your mind wanders (and it will) just bring it calmly back to the
breadth. Coming back to the breath again and again is what really stimulates the
prefrontal cortex.
3. Notice how it feels to breathe, and notice how the mind wanders
a. After a few minutes, drop the inhale/exhale thoughts. Try just to focus on the
sensation of breathing. You may sense the breath flowing in your mouth,
maybe the rhythmic inflation/deflation of your chest, whatever. Your mind will
still wander, just always calmly bring it back to the breath. If you need help
refocusing, bring the inhale/exhale thoughts back.
Start with 5 minutes a day, and once that is a habit bump it up to 15 a day. If that feels like a
burden, drop it back to 5. A short practice every day is much better than a long practice every
once in awhile.

● Being bad at meditation is good for self control

○ When you are bad at meditation your mind will wander A LOT
■ That skill translates directly into WP
○ You notice you are off goal and then redirect
○ Practice getting back to the breath
○ This refocusing is almost like lifting a weight for your PF cortex
○ So don’t be worried when you struggle
■ The struggle is what will improve your WP
● The Last Word
○ WP is a battle between our two selves
○ To win the battle, you need self awareness and self control

Week Two: The Willpower Instinct: Your Body Was

Born to Resist Cheesecake
● Introduction
○ Imagine you are walking past a delicious cheesecake (or substitute whatever
your poison of choice is)
■ BOOM, CRAVING!
■ Every single cell in your body is screaming “I want!”
■ It is a true willpower moment, and resisting can be brutally difficult
○ However, craving is as much a physiological event as it is a psychological event
○ Certain physical states can help/hurt you re. craving
■ Learning those states will be helpful
● A Tale of Two Threats
○ Before we can get into it, we need to take a trip back in time
■ There your ancestor was, pleasantly picking berries
■ Suddenly, saber tooth tiger!
■ This triggered the body’s fight or flight response
● It saved your ancestor’s lives
○ However, today’s temptations can trigger the same stress response (though
obviously to a lesser degree)
○ So, let’s look at this response
● When Danger Strikes
○ Imagine the saber tooth tiger again
■ It triggers the fight or flight response
■ Here is an outline
 ● A New Kind of Threat
○ The above response is fantastic for saving you from predators
■ All energy and every single physical and mental impulse goes to saving
your hide right now
■ Nothing is spared for tomorrow or long term planning
■ However, WP is all about planning for tomorrow... so we can see why the
fight or flight response causes problems
■ Let’s look at a more modern example
○ When you see a craved object, your brain release dopamine
■ Dopamine affects your attention, motivation, and potentially actions
○ Even seeing good food will cause your blood sugar to prematurely drop, boosting
the craving even further
○ You want that cheesecake
■ But then you realize that cheesecake is a threat to your long term goals
■ A threat!
■ Time for fight or flight (lite)!
● Uh oh, we know fight or flight kills long term planning
● So what do we do?
○ It’s hard to avoid all of this craving stuff, but here is what is critical
■ First, realize that a cheesecake is not a threat like a saber tooth tiger
● The cheesecake can’t actually do anything harmful to you
● The real danger is within, it’s your cravings
■ You can’t run from or kill a craving, so fight or flight isn’t the right
response
■ Essentially, you don’t have to run from or kill a doughnut or the cravings it
brings
■ So if fight or flight can’t help... what do I do?
■ Don’t worry, we have a physical response for internal threats as well, but
first:

Microscope: What is the threat?

Direct quote: “We’re used to seeing temptation and trouble outside of ourselves: the dangerous
doughnut, the sinful cigarette, the enticing internet. But self-control points the mirror back at
ourselves, and our inner world of thoughts, desires, emotions, and impulses. For your willpower
challenge, identify the inner impulse that needs to be restrained. What is the thought or feeling
that makes you want to do whatever it is you don’t really want to do? If you aren’t sure, try
some field observation. Next time you’re tempted, turn your attention inward.

● The Willpower Instinct: Pause and Plan

○ Willpower has a biological signature
○ It’s like the fight or flight response, but very different
○ Unlike FoF, it is triggered by internal conflict/threats
 ■ In a nutshell, it slows your mind down
● This is Your Brain and Body on Willpower
○ Pause and plan (P+P)
○ Monitoring system dispersed throughout brain and connected to prefrontal cortex
■ Constantly monitors thoughts, emotion, and stimulus
■ If sees things that suggest break with longer term goals, system is
activated
● Prefrontal cortex is stimulated
● Energy is redirected from the body to the brain
○ Heart slows
○ Breathing deepens
○ Muscles loosen
● All these things physiologically prime you to exercise willpower
○ This system is innate to all people, just like fight or flight, but it doesn’t always
feel like that
■ It is also a much newer system
● The Body’s Willpower Reserve
○ Studies have shown that the best predictor of the strength of someone’s P+P
response is their heart rate variability
○ Essentially, everyone’s heart rate tends to vary from moment to moment
■ These are small but safe fluctuations
○ The greater the variability, the greater the willpower
○ The sympathetic nervous system stimulates and “revs” the body
■ This increases heart rate and decreases variability
○ The parasympathetic nervous system puts the breaks on
■ This decreases heart rate and increases variability
○ Stress -> Sympathetic nervous system -> low variability
○ Self control -> Parasympathetic nervous system -> high variability
○ When people use WP, their variability goes up
○ So what actually causes high variability?
■ Good food, rest, meditation, low pollution, etc. all improve variability
■ Basically, avoid stress to improve variability
● A calm mind is a WP mind

Experiment: Breathe Your Way to Self Control

This is a “quick” fix that will help give you the edge in your WP struggles. Don’t think that this
alone will be a cure all, but it will help physically. When facing a WP challenge, slow your
breathing to 4-6 breaths per minute. This activates the parasympathetic nervous system,
increases heart variability, and in the end will give you a WP boost. If you can get yourself to
breath this slowly naturally, that means more WP all the time.

● Train Your Mind and Body

○ What follows are two strategies that will give you absolutely the most bang for
your buck in regards to improving WP
 ■ Also they will help with general health and happiness
● The Willpower Miracle
○ Megan Oaten and Ken Cheng conducted a study on a technique for improving
WP
■ At the end of the treatment here is what happened to the subjects:
● Improved attention span
● Improved ability to tune out distraction
● Less smoking, drinking, and caffeine
● Less junk food, more healthy food
● Less television
● More studying
● Saving more money, fewer impulse purchases
● More in control of emotions
● Less procrastination, and better at being on time
■ So, what was this miracle drug?
■ Physical exercise.
○ Exercise helps in pretty much every aspect of your life
○ It is the closest thing to a WP wonder drug we have
■ Heart variability shoots ups with fitness
■ More gray and white matter throughout the brain
● Most increases in the prefrontal cortex
■ In some cases as powerful as prozac for depression
○ So, how much do you need to do?
■ How much are you willing to do?
● No point in setting a goal that you will abandon in a week
○ Even 5 minutes can help
○ So, what kind of exercise is best?
■ The kind you will actually stick to
● The body and brain don’t really discriminate, so do whatever you
are most willing to do

Willpower Experiment: The Five Minute Green Willpower Fill-Up

Feeling like you need a quick dose of more WP? Get outside for just five minutes and move
around. This will help give you a quick willpower “fill-up”. If that outside is green space, the
effect is greater. It doesn’t have to be a mega workout. Here are some examples:
● Get out of the office and head for the closest greenery
● Cue up your favorite song on your iPod and walk or jog around the block.
● Take your dog outside to play (and chase the toy yourself)
● Do a bit of work in your yard or garden
● Step outside for some fresh air and do some stretches
● Challenge your kids to a race or game in the backyard
In the long run, exercise will give you much more energy and power than it takes away.

● Gain Willpower in Your Sleep

 ○ If you are surviving on less than 6 hours of sleep a night, you probably don’t even
know what it is like to operate with full WP
○ Sleep deprivation absolutely murders WP
■ Under 6 hours chronically is really bad
○ Sleep deprivation
■ Impairs the brain’s ability to use glucose
● Triggers sugar or caffeine cravings
○ But even if you eat it, the craving will persist because the
brain can’t actually use the glucose in the blood efficiently
■ Hits the prefrontal cortex harder than anything else, as it is the most
energy intensive part of the brain
● Clinically called “Mild prefrontal dysfunction”
■ With an impaired prefrontal cortex, all of your brain regulation begins to
falter
● Alarm system and fight or flight are no longer kept properly in
check
● Ordinary stress will trigger fight or flight, and you will be stuck in a
permanent physiological mild fight or flight response
○ Fortunately, all of this is easily reversable
■ Just sleep more!

Experiment: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
The best is obviously 8 hours a night, but that isn’t alway possible. A single good night can help
reverse multiple bad ones, so if you are busy during the week catch up on the weekend. Some
studies suggest you can build up a reserve, so consider oversleeping if you know you are about
to enter a hard stretch. Finally, naps can do wonders by breaking up consecutive waking hours.
So the best is to actually get 8 hours, but if that fails consider catch up, stocking up, or napping.
If you find yourself avoiding sleep, consider what you are saying “yes” to instead of sleep. Your
WP issue may not be an “I will” go to sleep issue, but a “I won’t” browse Reddit after 10pm
issue. Consider what you have to say “no” to so you can say “yes” to sleep.

● The Cost of too Much Self-Control

○ Stress is very costly
■ Diverts the body’s resources to a perceived emergency
■ But obviously, some stress is also good!
○ WP is also very costly
■ It also uses the body’s resources aggressively
■ Chronic WP is just as bad as chronic stress
○ Self-control is a nifty evolved response to a specific set of circumstances, just like
stress is
■ To preserve health and happiness, you need to give up your pursuit of
WP perfection
■ You need time off, and you need to choose your WP battles wisely
Experiment: Relax to Restore WP Reserve
Relaxation is very important. So, here is a technique that activates the physiological relaxation
response for 5-10 minutes.
1. Lie on your back
2. Elevate your legs slightly, or do what is most comfortable.
3. Close your eyes and take deep breaths
4. Focus on your body
a. If you feel tension in any muscle, contract that muscle tightly for a few seconds
then relax it
b. Repeat for all tension in body
5. Then just chill for 5-10 minutes in the knowledge that for these 5-10 minutes there is
nothing you have to do besides relax and enjoy yourself :)
6. If worried about falling asleep, set an alarm (A peaceful one!)
Do this every day if you are able. It will both reduce your stress and increase your WP.

● One Nation Under Stress

○ Willpower isn’t a personality trait or a virtue
○ It is a physical capacity and an instinct
■ You don’t always get to just make your mind up about it
○ Stress always harms one’s willpower
■ Don’t increase stress in yourself or others to get things done
○ Biologically, stress and willpower are incompatible and antagonistic systems
○ People say the United States has lost its willpower
■ Well consider this
● 75% of American’s report being highly stressed
● The average amount of sleep has fallen by 2 hours a night since
the 1960s!
○ As a nation we are going to have to address the stress if we want to address the
WP

Microscope: Stress and Self Control

Direct quote: “This week, test the theory that stress- whether physical or psychological- is the
enemy of self-control. How does being worried or overworked affect your choices? Does being
hungry or tired drain your WP? What about physical pain and illness? Or emotions like anger,
loneliness, or sadness? Notice when stress strikes throughout the day or week. Then watch
what happens to your self control. Do you experience cravings? Lose your temper? Put off
things you know you should do?”

● The last word

○ WP is an evolved mental instinct that initially promoted healthy group dynamics
○ WP failures can often be traced to being in the wrong physical state to properly
exercise WP
■ Waging the mental WP war will be hard if you are not physically prepared
to do it
Week Three: Too Tired to Resist: Why Self-Control is
Like a Muscle
● Introduction
○ Think back to finals week in college, or I guess use your imagination if you are
young
○ Tons of students crammed into libraries studying straight for days on end
○ That is some great WP!
○ But... when using all that WP studying, they stop using it otherwise
■ Diets, exercise, everything else that requires WP falls to the side
○ It’s almost like a WP reserve is used up
■ WP decreases as it is used
● The Muscle of Self Control
○ Roy Baumeister has studied WP for 15 years
■ All of his studies show that WP deteriorates as exercised
■ All WP seems to draw on the same common resevoire
○ Self control is like a muscle
○ But... it isn’t just using self control that can exhaust WP
■ Any pause and plan action drains it

Microscope: The High and Lows of WP

Think about your own WP reserve. Is it high in the morning, but some the end of work
exhausted? Are there any moments where it seems like the tank has been refilled? Think of
your high and low WP moments, and plan around them. Align difficult activities with times of
high WP.

● Why is self-control limited?

○ The more one uses WP the less active the prefrontal cortex becomes over a
short time frame
○ Is it a problem of energy?
■ In part, yes
■ Low blood sugar is a strong predictor of WP failure
■ However, WP uses less raw glucose energy than a task like walking, so if
you are walking then it isn’t just energy
● Energy Crisis
○ Brain has a very low energy storage capacity
■ Therefore, very dependent on blood for energy
■ If the brain detects a drop in blood sugar, it will start to cut back on energy
consumption, and the prefrontal cortex gets cut very early
■ So even if you can walk, your prefrontal cortex may still be restricted
 ○ “Energy Budget” model for self control
■ In general your body will spend energy when it is plentiful, and conserve it
when it is not
■ More subtly it looks at the change in energy
● So increasing blood sugar, more WP
● Decreasing blood sugar, less WP
● People Who are Starving Shouldn’t say No to a Snack
○ So the above may seem a bit frustrating, but consider ancient scarcity
○ It makes sense for the brain to do the above
○ Low blood sugar = scarce resources
■ Time to take risks and be impulsive
■ The future doesn’t really matter as much
○ The problem is that low blood sugar still pushes people to make risky and
impulsive decisions
■ eg. People on diets commit adultery at measurably higher rates

Experiment: The WP Diet

Sugar spikes are not the answer to the above problem. Spikes lead to massive drops later,
and that means massive drops in WP. A smooth and even supply of sugar is the best option
in regards to WP. This means focussing on foods that are low on the glycemic index. Consult
a dedicated dieting resource, but here are some low glycemic foods: lean proteins, nuts and
beans, high-fiber grains and cereals, and most fruits and vegetables. A decent rule of thumb is
if it looks like it’s in its natural state (not much post processing) it is probably low on the index.
Now, it will take SC adn WP to switch to these healthier foods, but they will give you increased
returns given the even and steady blood sugar. Consider them a WP investment like exercise.

● Training the WP Muscle

○ Create a WP exercise or challenge
○ Create and meet self imposed deadlines
■ For example, clean a closet over time
■ These will help in all aspects of your WP in the long run
○ Small WP tasks (maintaining good posture, tracking spending, etc.) are also
great for WP exercise
○ All of the above train you to notice your actions and then do the more difficult
thing, and that is fundamentally what WP is all about

Experiment: A Willpower Workout

1. Strengthen “I won’t”
a. Commit to refraining from one trivial activity: don’t swear, don’t cross legs when
sitting, don’t slouch, don’t use dominant hand to open certain doors
2. Strengthen “I will”
a. Commit to one small habit that you will do every day: meditate, call a family
member, throw one old thing out
3. Strengthen Self monitoring
 a. Formally track something you don’t normally track. Calories, spending, time
spent online, whatever works. A pen and paper is enough, but there are tons of
self tracking tools out there. Scope out www.quantifiedself.com if you really want
to get into it. Pick it and stick to it.
Try to pick a workout that relates to your main challenge. So, if you want to save money,
track your spending habits. If you want to exercise more, consider just doing 10 quick push ups
before you shower. Even if you can’t make it relate directly, you will still be improving your WP.
Another way these exercises can come in handy is by easing you into truly massive
WP challenges. Consider quitting smoking after a really heavy habit. If you can refrain from
smoking for just some brief period for a work out, that will help in the long run.

● How real are the limits of self control?

○ When WP “runs out” is that just because exercising WP is getting hard or is that
really a physical barrier?
○ To find out, let’s look at real muscles
● Making the Finish Line
○ Consider the marathoner who “pushes through” fatigue
○ Scientists used to think that when most runners stopped from fatigue or
exhaustion, they had hit a real physical barrier
○ However, when they examined the muscles of most exhausted runners, they
were physically still capable of running for quite some time
○ Fatigue was in the mind (In most cases!)
■ The brain uses fatigue as a trick to make you stop running
■ It doesn’t want you to hit true exhaustion, so stops you with “gas still in
the tank”
■ You will get the mental sensation of fatigue long before you are actually
physically fatigued
○ Fatigue is literally in the mind
■ It’s closer to an emotion than a physical sense of where your body is at
■ The first wave of fatigue isn’t a real physical limit
● This doesn’t mean you can’t hit true exhaustion, you can, but it
comes much later than you think
● Truly good athletes learn to ignore the first waves of fatigue and
push on
○ If it was actually a physical limit, they couldn’t push on
○ So why do we care about this?
■ Some theorize that WP is like this
■ When we feel drained, we really aren’t yet drained
■ When you feel WP exhaustion, know that it isn’t a true physical boundary,
and you can keep going
○ Those who believe that WP exhaustion isn’t a “true” representation of their
physical mental reserves don’t tire as quickly due to WP use
■ They just keep on pushing
○ What a person believe about WP is their reality.
 ○ Therefore, whenever you feel WP exhaustion, just keep pushing
■ It is just like early physical fatigue, and can be ignored

Microscope: Is your exhaustion real?

When you feel that first moment of “I want to give up” or other WP exhaustion, move past it. It
can be ignored and pushed through in a manner similar to physical fatigue. However, be aware
of feeling constantly drained. If you always feel drained of WP, you may have hit a real limit for
the time being. However, even those limits can be increased with time and mental exercise.

● Where There’s a Want, There’s a Will

○ Correct inspiration = more willpower
○ Consider some delicious girl scout cookies
■ Tempting, right?
■ Now imagine someone will pay you $100 to not eat a single one
● Not so tempting now
○ What you want will affect your WP
○ So, incentives can work
○ Here is one incentive that can apply to everyone who is exercising their WP
■ Practice will make things easier
■ What is hard and takes a lot of WP now will become easier and maybe
even second nature in time
○ As you exercise your WP, things will get easier
■ It is a positive feedback loop that can and will bring you a better life if you
stick to it

Experiment: What’s Your “Want” Power

When your WP is getting low, tap into your want power. Consider:
1. Think of how you will benefit from completing this challenge. Will you have greater
health? More happiness? More freedom? Money? Success?
2. Think of who else will benefit. If you can’t do it for yourself, consider your children or
others you feel an obligation to. Think of family, friends, or community. How will they
benefit from you sticking to your WP challenge?
3. Know that this challenge will get easier for you over time if you are willing to do what is
difficult now. Think of how great it will feel when you succeed down the line. Is some
discomfort now worth that?
Find which one of these works best for you, and use it in times of need. Sometimes what you
think will motivate you isn’t what you expect, so experiment with them all!

● Everyday Distractions and the Collapse of Civilization

○ An experiment was run that required foresight and cooperation between multiple
subjects
■ Subjects given a shared public resource, an imaginary forest
■ They could “log” the forest for real money
 ■ Experiment took place over a long period of time, and the forest had a
simulated grow back rate
■ Best economic choice would be for all parties to cooperate, and harvest
slowly over time
○ The control party did just that, and made some decent cash
○ The treatment party was subjected to WP depletion treatments
■ They exhausted their forest so early the experiment had to be cut short
○ People with exhausted WP can’t be counted on to make good decisions
■ This can be helped with choice architecture
● Set things up so the “better” thing is easier to do
○ Automatic opt in for organ donors, automatically scheduled
check-ups
○ Keep this in mind when making your own WP plans
■ Don’t plan around some heroic you that can make great choices
■ Plan around the tired you that will give in, and take steps ahead of time to
move you towards the harder thing
● The Last Word
○ We can’t control everything in our lives
■ However, we need to use WP to get better at it
■ Use it or lose it
■ But don’t run a WP marathon every day!