I will, I won't, and I want

"Instead of thinking of willpower as the ability to resist temptation it is actually 3 powers/aspects/sides of will power.

 "will" power (remembering future goals) ,

 "won't" power (resist temptation) ,

and "want" power (clear memory of what it is you care about most - put your desires, your energy and attention on what you care about most) ."

The Willpower Instinct:
How Self-Control Works, Why It Matters, and What You Can Do To Get More of It                             

by Kelly McGonigal 
                                      

In any conflict, the subconscious will always triumph.

"The concept of "willpower" pits the conscious mind against the subconscious mind.

In any conflict, the subconscious will always triumph, therefore the concept of willpower is largely meaningless.

Any notion of overcoming subconscious resistance with conscious will is a myth."

Read more: http://stason.org/TULARC/self-growth/hypnosis/The-Myth-of-Willpower.html#.UpAomNGA2ic#ixzz2lRDbjquu

Unfulfilled Wishes

Read more: http://stason.org/TULARC/self-growth/hypnosis/The-Myth-of-Willpower-Continued.html#.Uo_4kdGA2ic#ixzz2lR9THmCR

"We all do things we wish we did not do, and don't do things we wish we would. Our unfulfilled wishes and desires are clearly conscious. What we really do tells us our subconscious position on things.

Self hypnosis and suggestion are the way we go about bringing the subconscious mind into agreement with our conscious plans. It is the way we tune our intrapsychic or bicameral resonance.

To achieve your ends it is in fact essential that you cease thinking in adversarial terms and move toward the concept of harmony, coordination and resonance."

"Will" is bicameral resonance.

Read more: http://stason.org/TULARC/self-growth/hypnosis/The-Myth-of-Willpower-Continued.html#.Uo_4kdGA2ic#ixzz2lR9THmCR

" "Bicameral" simply means there are two governing parts of the mind.

In other words, the conscious part and the unconscious, or subconscious, part.

...To tap into more of the richness of the concept of resonance, and to go further into the complexities of how the two parts of the mind work together, think of two musical instruments, say a horn and a guitar. If a note is played on the horn it will make the guitar strings vibrate the same note and some of its harmonics. That is resonance. The closer the horn's note is to the "key" of the string, the stronger the vibration.

Now consider two related qualities of resonance, consonance and dissonance.

Consonance is a good thing. It sounds good when two notes that are consonant are played simultaneously, and in the same way it is easy for us to do something when there is consonance between the conscious and subconscious parts of the mind. The more consonant they are, the easier it is.

Dissonance is not such a good thing. Two notes that don't go together jangle our nerves; they are not harmonious. Same goes for ideas. If there is conscious-subconscious dissonance about something, it is the subconscious "note" that will come through. In other words, without conscious-subconscious agreement, the only thing that will happen will be what the subconscious wants.

What this theorem says, then, is that will is the product of agreement about a particular idea between the subconscious and conscious parts of the mind.

Everything we do, we do with agreement from the subconscious mind.

To suggest that we will consciously override the subconscious is ridiculous. The subconscious mind is far and away the dominant force and must be reckoned with for any achievement to occur.

Conversely, without subconscious concurrence, you will not be able to do it. Not for very long, anyway.

This position has immense ramifications at every level of human study. It challenges conventional wisdom which is seemingly set in stone. It attracts a lot of controversy.

The Myth of Willpower

Read more: http://stason.org/TULARC/self-growth/hypnosis/The-Myth-of-Willpower-Continued.html#.Uo_4kdGA2ic#ixzz2lQOIKJRW

"So willpower is a mythical conception. It is a quality of mind or personality that just does not exist. It is a phantasm. It is a cruel hoax because it makes those of us who don't seem to have it feel inadequate. Yet adequacy and inadequacy have nothing to do with it."

 

Self-Control Relies on Glucose as a Limited Energy Source

Conclusion of the research studies:

Willpower Is More Than a Metaphor

"Self-control, as a relatively advanced human capacity, was probably one of the last to develop and hence may be one of the first to suffer impairments when resources are inadequate. The present findings suggest that relatively small acts of self-control are sufficient to deplete the available supply of glucose, thereby impairing the control of thought and behavior, at least until the body can retrieve more glucose from its stores or ingest more calories. More generally, the body’s variable ability to mobilize glucose may be an important determinant of people’s capacity to live up to their ideals, pursue their goals, and realize
their virtues."

"Self-control (or self-regulation) is the ability to control or override one’s thoughts, emotions, urges, and behavior. Self-control allows for the flexibility necessary for successful goal attainment, and it greatly facilitates adherence to morals, laws, social norms, and other rules and regulations. As such, it is one of the most important and beneficial processes in the human personality structure.

A burgeoning body of evidence has linked good self-control to a broad range of desirable outcomes, including healthier interpersonal relationships, greater popularity, better mental health, more effective coping skills, reduced aggression, and superior academic performance, as well as less susceptibility to drug and alcohol abuse, criminality, and eating disorders."