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> So, we reasoned, when we see ourselves engaging in a ritual, we code that behavior as a sign that we are people with self-control. And thanks to that self-con
by athenot 8y ago
> So, we reasoned, when we see ourselves engaging in a ritual, we code that behavior as a sign that we are people with self-control. And thanks to that self-control, we choose the apple (or carrot) over the chocolate and thus reduce our caloric intake.
This is interesting. If I'm understanding the article, the path to applying self-control is to first start viewing ourselves as someone who has self-control. The ritual is merely a trigger to remind ourselves of the identity we've chosen, and then subconsciously we tend to line up our actions with how we view ourselves.
- StavrosK 8y agoOr maybe it just makes you more aware that you're about to eat something, and instead of mindlessly swallowing that snack you engage the decision-making part of the brain, which leads to actually making the eating a decision, rather than an impulse.
- addicted 8y agoThat seems to be part of it since the random gestures group also exhibited better self control than the control “no requirements” group. But the group with an established ritual exhibited even more self control indicating that having a fixed ritual adds something beyond what can be achieved through actions that are random.
- Erwin 8y agoSo in the words of Vonnegut, "We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be."
- shrimp_emoji 8y agoSomeone once said, "You can't think yourself into right action; you have to act your way into right thinking." Because that sounds good and makes some sense to me, I choose to consider it acquired wisdom that I can draw psychological sustenance from with loose regard to its veracity.