There are some decisions that I make that go against what ultimately makes me feel good. For example:
- Not going on a run, despite always feeling great afterwards
- Binge eating (anything from snacks to massive pizzas), despite feeling sick afterwards
- Meditating, despite it putting me in a good headspace
- Going to bed late, despite knowing I’ll feel terrible in the morning
- Procrastinating work, despite it causing anxiety later.
It’s not like I have a lack of evidence for these effects. I’ve experienced them countless times. I could even say out loud how they’ll make me feel afterwards.
But yet I often make these decisions even though I know what the outcome will be. And often that outcome is less than an hour away.
What’s worse is being aware that I’m making a poor decision and still acting on it.
I think the frustrating thing about this is the fact that I’ve been brought up fundamentally thinking that I am rational, and so are other human beings. When given a set of choices, we’ll choose the one that makes us happiest over the time horizon of the decision. So failing to make the right decision makes me a bad human.
But our irrational, animal brains often override that decision, even when it has evidence.
It wants to eat now.
It wants to play now.
It doesn’t feel like doing anything.
There are ways of overpowering this instinctual drive. Getting friends involved to have peer pressure influence the decision. Tricking yourself into the activity. And of course, good old will power.
But I think what’s more important than overpowering it is to recognise it. And realise that, although we think we have complete control, we really don’t.
We don’t need to get angry with that part of ourselves. Just be aware of it and understand that sometimes, your instinctual side is just going to win.
Image was taken in the Greenpoint park yesterday 🙂
Blog: 259/365
Song of the day: Sigala – Lullaby (video shot in Cape Town)