Decision Fatigue Explained and How to Avoid It
Making many decisions depletes mental energy, leading to worse choices later. Reduce decision fatigue through routines, defaults, and strategic timing.
March 2026
December 2024
Ego Depletion: The Science of Willpower as a Finite Resource
In 1998, Roy Baumeister gave subjects a plate of radishes and a plate of cookies, then told them to eat only the radishes. Subjects who resisted the cookies subsequently quit on an unsolvable puzzle in 8 minutes. Controls who ate cookies lasted 20 minutes. Self-control, Baumeister argued, depletes a limited resource. The theory, its replication crisis, and what the controversy reveals about the nature of willpower.
January 2024
How Willpower Works: The Science of Self-Control
Willpower is not a character trait — it's a set of cognitive mechanisms that can be understood, managed, and improved. Here's what the science actually shows about self-control.
November 2023
Does Willpower Actually Work: The Collapse and Revival of Self-Control Research
Does willpower actually work? Explore the rise, fall, and partial revival of self-control science -- from Baumeister's ego depletion to Hagger's replication failure, marshmallow revisions, and what actually helps.
August 2022
What Is Willpower: The Science of Self-Control
Willpower research has been upended by replication failures. Learn what the science actually says about self-control, ego depletion, and how to change behavior.