New Insights on Self-Control

Self-control is probably the single most discussed and valued quality that makes a good poker player; moreover, its absence renders all other skills -  logic, maths, memory, psychology, etc - quite meaningless or at the very least, unproductive, since we would lack the concentration and willpower to exercise them consistently. That is why all of us here on RankingHero are always on the lookout for tips on improving our self-discipline and focus.

And since poker mimics life and is a veritable 'microcosm of life' such tips and insights can come from unexpected sources, from everyday situations, and even completely unrelated to poker, self-help books. Now we can add one more title to the dozens of books under the bed (because the pile on our bedside table has grown too menacingly tall even by gambler standards): 

Psychologist Jeremy Dean is the founder and author of the popular website 'PsyBlog' http://www.psyblog.co.uk Brought to our attention by another excellent review on brainpickings.org. Thank you, Maria Popova :)

"People naturally vary in the amount of self-control they have, so some will find it more difficult than others to break a habit. But everyone’s self-control is a limited resource; it’s like muscle strength: the more we use it, the less remains in the tank, until we replenish it with rest. In one study of self-control, participants first had to resist the temptation to eat chocolate (they had a radish instead); then they were given a frustrating task to do. The test was to see how long they would persist. Radish-eaters only persisted on the task for about 8 minutes, while those who had gorged on chocolate kept going for 19 minutes. The mere act of exerting willpower saps the strength for future attempts. These sorts of findings have been repeated again and again using different circumstances."

"We face these sorts of willpower-depleting events all day long. When someone jostles you in the street and you resist the urge to shout at them, or when you feel exhausted at work but push on with your email: these all take their toll. The worse the day, the more the willpower muscle is exerted, the more we rely on autopilot, which means increased performance of habits. It’s crucial to respect the fact that self-control is a limited resource and you are likely to overestimate its strength. Recognizing when your levels of self-control are low means you can make specific plans for those times."

In poker terms, this would suggest that rather than think about whether we should stop while winning or stop when losing, what really matters is to stop while our level of self-control is still high enough. And if you've been gritting your teeth for an hour at the idiotic comments of your right-hand neighbor, or the endless tanking of the one to your left, consider it dangerously depleted even before that crucial hand that might draw you into a lose-lose situation before you know it!..

PS

Any jokes, gifs, memes and demotivational posters on self-control for my personal collection are most welcome, thanks :)