And the story this was inspired by in particular is called “Cookies”:
Toad makes very good cookies and he and frog can’t stop eating them. “We need willpower!” they say.
So they put the cookies in a box. But they realize they can just open it, so they tie it with string and put it on a high shelf. But they realize they can get it down so Frog goes outside and scatters the cookie and birds eat them all.
There says Frog “now we have lots and lots of willpower!”
Toad is upset. “You can keep your willpower Frog. I am going home to bake a cake!”
I just recently saw that story in a book. What was it... Oh yes, it was in "Situated" by Angela Duckworth (of "Grit" fame). That's the gist of the book. Frog and Toad changed their situation rather than the downstream thoughts or behaviors (through willpower). Make it harder to do (friction up) what you don't want to do and make it easier (friction down) to do what you want to do.
Life is a bit easier when we see the conditions that lead to the undesirable outcomes, and so much harder when we aspire to perfect ourselves and use moral strength to over come our weaknesses. Like my mom always said of parenting, "Make it easy to be good." - works for self-management as well, and is much more relaxing and happy than constantly trying to grind or improve.
mjd · · focus · HN ↗
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frog_and_Toad" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frog_and_Toad
doitLP · · focus · HN ↗
Toad makes very good cookies and he and frog can’t stop eating them. “We need willpower!” they say.
So they put the cookies in a box. But they realize they can just open it, so they tie it with string and put it on a high shelf. But they realize they can get it down so Frog goes outside and scatters the cookie and birds eat them all.
There says Frog “now we have lots and lots of willpower!”
Toad is upset. “You can keep your willpower Frog. I am going home to bake a cake!”
drivers99 · · focus · HN ↗
lanstin · · focus · HN ↗