The Myth of Willpower

There is no such thing as willpower, only competing desires.

The books: "A Minority Interest" and "Corporeal Fantasy" can be found on Amazon.

[Sensor-gz]

Determined by Sapolsky is a heavy duty book, but I recommend it too. It's got so much information, I had to read it a second time a year later. I love Saplosky, because one of his other books, '"Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers - A Guide to Stress, Stress-related Diseases, and Coping" helped me understand and dial down some of my stress when I was less than a year clean & sober and having a rough time. A little philosophy here, a little science there. Learning a few coping techniques or improving upon the ones I have - whatever it takes to help me deal better - it's all good. Martin's videos have also been very helpful and I watch them multiple times cause I need reminders.
Thank you Martin.

[ciararespect]

Willpower is definitely a myth. Its genetics experience and environment.

[danmarco]

This really needs to be explained more often. People really believe this myth.

[bobdillaber]

Bravo for this discussion! And for credit given to Dr. Robert Sapolsky!
A true genius in neuroscience and life.

[EMPANAO]

I go to the gym and this is totally true, there's no willpower into what I do

[r-type]

I too see willpower as an illusion. As there's no free will, how can there be willpower?
What exists is motivations and aversions and the inner interplay of them within us. Usually that's quite complex and too much for our brains to dissect and understand, so we use willpower or lack thereof as a placeholder - which as a sideeffect upholds our belief of being/having an ego that is somewhat in control of things.

[michamichalak]

Willpower can be defined as inherent intensity of drive for power (desire). The more intense such defined willpower is the more easily effort comes.

[snatchbalance]

I was some sort of workout addict, ( "addict" is probably too strong a word), for many years. I did it for exactly the reasons that MB talks about, being sexually attractive and the endorphin release. As I got older, I lost much of my sexual desire (lower testosterone?) and it started to hurt too much (sore muscles and joints and such). So I stopped going.

[grahammarsh]

You say you didn't learn any from Gurdieff but this video is about the different
I (s)we have, so it wasn't a waste of time.

[matthewpedigo]

Willpower is trading short term gratification for a long term yes some people actually do that.

[wlink]

Then I guess the question then would be how I do make myself desire more long term beneficial actions. What does it really change in pragmatic terms?

[JanosMatyas]

If we are determined robots, why would we think about these things? We can't do anything about or life

[Ruffwun]

Hello, Martin
I’d like to speak with you, is there any way to contact you?

[cjd]

If science doesn't fully understand consciousness how is it possible to confirm or deny freewill ?

[olegwiththeknowledge]

To add some perspective to this partly anti-excersise rant, lifting can be like solving a math problem done by a ”nerd”. Meaning it gives satisfaction by understanding its true essence using the much dispised 4th level of knowledge (in spinozian terminology).

[MattAngiono]

Was about to ask what you thought of Dr Sapolsky lol....

[hodic]

Martin, you mentioned before meditating on your own death. Any tips how to do that?

[unknownhollow]

To offer a slightly more complete understanding: there is desire but desire does not care about anything in particular. Desire desires to keep desiring. You can see desire as a seperate entity that just wants to be, to keep existing by any means necessary. Now there are better and worse hungry wolves to feed, but all wolves can and will eat you.

[francisdec]

Seriously, Martin, stop turning off the comment section, as you did in your new podcast.

[unknownhollow]

Martin's videos are defining humans as walking on two legs without feathers. These facts fit a naked chicken too. Why does Martin keep ruminating on incomplete understanding?