In this episode, I explore the nature of self-control, its connection to empathy, and our picture of our ideal self. This is inspired by Ed Yong's article “Self-Control is Just Empathy with Your Future Self” in The Atlantic.
We can think of self-control as the "present" you taking a hit to help out the "future" you. You don't eat cake today, so you weigh less next month; you study today so you can have a better job next year—the examples are endless.
When conversing about people, we are always being driven by a desire to understand the why and how of particular actions. "Why did I do that, it's not like me, or why did they do that, I'd have never expected it." We are all made up of many stories, listen to learn more about how we can increase our understanding of self-control and judgment, and stimulate empathy for our future selves.
Further Reading:
Empathy: How We Form Our Relationships
Reflect on almost any day and there will inevitably be recalled an event where one's reaction was either stronger than retrospectively desired or perhaps even came out of seeming nowhere. Unfortunately for our own continued self-doubt and the hurt affected in others, our emotional and subsequent behavioral responses are not often carefully constructed, …
Relationships: They Are Us
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