The new science of willpower: Can self-control really get used up?

Does willpower have a limit?

For more than 15 years, psychologists believed the answer to that question was clearly yes. Indeed, a whole line of research, based on a seminal study published in 1998, suggested that not only is human willpower a depletable resource, but it's also drawn from a singular source in the brain. Hold back from scarfing down a chocolate chip cookie, and you'll be less persistent at logic puzzles. Refrain from expressing your emotions, and math problems will seem so much more painful.

SEE ALSO: Positive Energy Habits That Are Too Simple to Skip

Lately, though, this theory has taken a hit — several, in fact. Many psychologists now think this phenomenon, dubbed "ego depletion," doesn't exist at all. Read more...

More about Science, Psychology, Self Control, Willpower, and Us World

via Mashable

Put the internet to work for you.

Turn off or edit this Recipe