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

On Consciousness & the Brain with Bernard Baars

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