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by dreeves
5537 days ago
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That last one is similar to my litmus test for Akrasia [http://wikipedia.org/wiki/Akrasia]: 1. How certain are you that you *want* to do it?
2. How certain are you that you *can* do it?
3. How certain are you that you *will* do it?
If your answers are "absolutely", "definitely", and "given historical
evidence, not entirely" then this is classic akrasia.
I think the only solution in that case is some form of self-binding.
See http://blog.beeminder.com/akrasia |
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Here is a nice synopsis of a case studied in the Influencer book about the Carter Center helping to rid Guinea worm infections in several African countries: http://www.joshhunt.com/mail215.htm
I have problem accepting your conclusion from your blog:To make the long-term consequences of failing at your goal immediate, you need a bright and painful line.
I think it more complex than that, which you alluded to earlier. I am constantly trying to be a better me. Losing money would not be an incentive to me if milestones were not met as you recommended.
The book, "Change or Die", talks about Dick Cheney needing a yearly heart bypass and then finally getting $6M/invested in chefs/fitness trainers/doctors/retrofitted planes to change himself (basically to exercise 1 hour a day). This is even before his recent massive weight loss.
It also talks about, people with fatal diseases that refuse to take their daily meds as required. Why? I mean it is fatal. They will die.
Taking the pill every day made them realize they were dying. Forgetting to do so, made them have a happier less depressing day. I guess quality versus quantity. In this case if the pill was somehow better integrated, so they would not notice it much and reflect so much, they might consistently take it.
I also liked this synopsis of take aways from this MS project manager about the Influencer. the Power to Change Anything: http://sourcesofinsight.com/2009/06/09/influencer-the-power-...
Also, you may have already seen this, Sendhil Mullainathan's, "THE IRONY OF POVERTY" http://www.edge.org/documents/archive/edge263.html in which he talks one such problem diarrhea causing infant deaths and how to successfully change the mental model of the parents to save infant lives.
I have not yet read PG's essay.The Wikipedia article was a nice read. Thanks!
PS There are some interesting books on how train and change behaviors in animals since I think in end we more like animals than we care to admit.