Self-Control and the ‘Self’ Essay -- Psychology

Nearly everyone in the modern world has heard of the term frugality, a seemingly non-important or dull topic of interest. However, self-control has been related to having one of the most significant impacts on a person. Even some have gone as far to assure that self-control is the biggest predictor of a successful and satisfying life (Pinker 1), which are bold words for a topic that many merely disregard. The idea of self-control is a concept coined in the Victorian era, and appears immensely throughout the novel, Willpower Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, written by R.F. Baumeister & J. Tierney. Essentially a self-help book, Willpower provides explanations for wherefore humans are doing the things that they do, and why people arent always as virtuous as they may be expected to be. self-command affects many facets of a persons life, and by looking at how it is presented in psychology, and in Baumeister and Tierneys novel, Willpower Rediscovering the Greatest Human Stre ngth, one will see the correlations and differences amid modern research and historical perspectives on the idea of self-control, and ultimately decide if the idea of self-control is an inherent trait or a learned condition. Self-control is a topic and concept argued frequently in the psychological world. Some call up that self-control is an innate feature of human kind, while others, like Baumeister, believe it is a characteristic that can be practiced and strengthened. Baumeisters model of willpower describes self-control as a muscle that can be grim and replenished, just as any other muscle in the body. What is self-control exactly? Well, Freud was a psychologist who believed that personality is a biological component of ones-self,... ...Virtue, Personality, and Social dealings Self-Control as the Moral Muscle. Journal of Personality 67.6 (1999) 1165-194. Print.Davis, Doug. A Glossary of Freudian Terminology. A Freud Glossary. Web. 3 Apr. 2012. .Merriam-Webster. Merriam-Webs ter. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. .Pinker, Steven. The Sugary Secret of Self-Control. NY Times. Sept.-Oct. 2011. Web. 4 Mar. 2012.The wisdom of Self-Control Paperback. Amazon.com The Science of Self-Control (9780674013575) Howard Rachlin Books. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. .Self Control in Society, Mind, and Brain. Alibris. Web. 17 Apr. 2012. .