We are as a species fundamentally pleasure seeking creatures. The dopamine reward response is so incredibly powerful, and gives you a binary choice. Pleasure now, or disappointment in not having pleasure now. There is no tomorrow as far as your reward circuits are concerned.
Even knowing you saved money, is something you feel immediately. When the moment passes you no longer have a connection to how you felt about the action a moment ago. This means we humans are capable of tricking ourselves, and so on a regular basis because it feels like the right choice.
The hard choice is usually the right one, but not always. Without any indulgence we either become boring or bhuddist, a byword for boring. Although maybe bhuddists do have it figured out. By not attaching to outcome, they enjoy simply being.
How can I apply this in daily life?
Enjoy making the harder decision, and see it as character building. I've done this before, and still consistently fall back into bad habits. Are there any other tools besides willpower to beat temptation? Preferably that don't involve making lists or going out of your way too much. I need dopamine for avoiding temptation. Can I associate being happy with making the long term choice?
I have not signed up for an egg 0% card to transfer some debt balance, because I forgot my password and don't use the email address I signed up with. So it probably won't happen. It means ringing up, which is LONG. That "LONG" is like a fear of loss, or loss aversion, but what am I losing, comfort? Failure?
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