Summary of The willpower paradox: when self-talk becomes counterproductive
- Research suggests we may benefit from phrasing our goals in a speculative way: “Will I?” rather than “I will.” — this is called the Willpower Paradox.
- Declarative self-talk (“I will”) is more likely to be linked to extrinsically motivated goals. Using interrogative self-talk (“Will I?”) allows for more time to build intrinsic motivation.
- By switching from declarative self-talk to interrogative self-talk, we can consider whether we really want to achieve that goal. If the answer is yes, intrinsic motivation makes us more likely to succeed.
founder @ness_labs • neuroscience studies @kingscollegelon • metacognition, tools for thought, networked thinking
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