Here's some truly staggering news in the advancement of the science of psychology:
ScienceDaily (Mar. 8, 2012) — Feeling angry and annoyed with others is a daily part of life, but most people don't act on these impulses. What keeps us from punching line-cutters or murdering conniving co-workers? Self-control. A new review article in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, examines the psychological research and finds that it's possible to deplete self-control -- or to strengthen it by practice.
Interesting concept, this self-control, and that it can be depleted and strengthened at times. It makes sense though. I remember when my five siblings and I were kids and my mom would say something such as, "I've had it up to here with you kids!" so loudly that it echoed up and down the street. Now that I've read that article, I think it could be evidence that self-control can indeed become depleted.
And strengthened. All six of us kids made it to adulthood alive and without the certain smack upside the head we had probably richly deserved at some point or another. That has to be sure fire evidence that one can build up tremendous amounts of self-control. If you could measure self-control the same way as muscles, Mom would be a champion lifter.
I've got this feeling that there's something else missing here though. Self-control is certainly a valuable asset, but the question remains as to why I should develop and exercise it. Sure, it's against the law to murder that conniving co-worker, but is that really why I wouldn't, that it's against the law? Or is there something else? Perhaps something else from my childhood? I can't quite put my finger on it, but the number 10 keeps coming to mind.
Oh well. Maybe some psychologists can do some research and someday give me the answer.
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