Scan barcode
lakmus's review against another edition
4.0
Despite the dudebro title, this is actually a very helpful collection of explanations, advice, and techniques on various aspects of self-control. I like that it's fairly well-rounded, and includes a fair bit about things like sleeping enough and mindfulness. It isn't really about timers, planners, and whatnot ~productivity techniques~, but instead focuses on teaching the kind of strategies that are applicable in a wide array of situations and are likely to actually help people make permanent (if not dramatic) changes in their lives.
yanatarasova's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
brig_berthold's review against another edition
4.0
Insightful research and enough information to last a good deal of time studying.
daeus's review against another edition
5.0
Really well-researched explanations of the limits and complexity of willpower with practical tidbits. One of the main takeaways for me was the concept of 'won't power.' For example, I cannot will myself to sleep (willpower), but I can limit impulses to turn on the TV/play games on my phone, etc (won't power). Other big takeaways are that willpower is finite and that sleep and meditation help with willpower across the board.
Some other good quotes I underlined as I was reading:
- "If we want to strengthen self-control, we may need to think about how we can best support the most exhausted versions of ourselves- and not count on an ideal version of ourselves to show up and save the day."
- "...He also noticed that saying 'yes, but in ten minutes' reduced some of the panic and stress that kicked in when he said a flat-out 'no' to his urge [to smoke]. This made it easier to wait, and a few times he even go distracted and forgot the impulse."
- "We think about our future selves like different people"
- "..the more you try to push away a thought, the more likely it is to fight its way back into consciousness. This doesn't mean the thought is true or important."
- "'If shame worked, there'd be no fat people.'"
Some other good quotes I underlined as I was reading:
- "If we want to strengthen self-control, we may need to think about how we can best support the most exhausted versions of ourselves- and not count on an ideal version of ourselves to show up and save the day."
- "...He also noticed that saying 'yes, but in ten minutes' reduced some of the panic and stress that kicked in when he said a flat-out 'no' to his urge [to smoke]. This made it easier to wait, and a few times he even go distracted and forgot the impulse."
- "We think about our future selves like different people"
- "..the more you try to push away a thought, the more likely it is to fight its way back into consciousness. This doesn't mean the thought is true or important."
- "'If shame worked, there'd be no fat people.'"
flupwatson's review against another edition
2.0
I learned a few things I didn't know, but I really hated the writing style. She was trying to be funny and whimsical, but I found it rather annoying. It was also really repetitive and padded with lots of anecdotes and other fluff. The whole book could have easily been compressed to a quarter of the size. If anybody wants to read this, I suggest skimming and reading the chapter summaries.
dorianpurohit's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
birdinflight1's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book. I don't expect a book on willpower to be so gripping, but the author combines psychology, neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and personal stories from students in her continuing ed classes at Stanford to provide an easy and fun-to -read guide on overcoming challenges and achieving your goals. She writes about shame, heart rate variability, self-compassion, dopamine, somatic experiencing, stress and why we act the way we do (and how we can do better). It's fascinating. Malcom Gladwell meets Brene Brown and Gretchen Rubin.
markproxy's review against another edition
5.0
Great combination of light science, "self-help", and enjoyable reading. The lessons here are so generally applicable that I expect anyone could read this book and come away better equipped to achieve personal goals and avoid temptations. As I face new willpower challenges through the years, I plan to re-read "The Willpower Instinct", to remind myself of my hardwired shortcomings and re-learn the recommended techniques for working around them.