
Self-control saps memory resources - neverminder
http://www.theguardian.com/science/neurophilosophy/2015/sep/07/self-control-saps-memory-resources
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Filthy_casual
>These findings strongly suggest that self-control and memory encoding share
common brain structures and mechanisms, and compete with each other for them

So basically, the very moment you're trying to keep yourself from acting on an
urge, you're using neurons that would otherwise be used to retrieve a memory?
Or am I misunderstanding something?

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cLeEOGPw
> that would otherwise be used to retrieve a memory

Also to create a memory. Self control basically uses up part of working memory
which has limited measurable amount of neurons.

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CDokolas
I think "self-control" applies only in the context of the (much disputed)
marshmallow experiment. Where adults are involved, some other kind of process
should be identified. I'm thinking of this experiment as observation vs some
kind of processing, like decision-making, where the input data are secondary
to the result.

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jonnybgood
I remember reading about something similar in "Thinking, Fast and Slow" by
Daniel Kahneman.

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Filthy_casual
You're probably thinking of ego depletion.

