The upside of failing at self-control

Research suggests that self-control failure may serve a purpose: to help us balance between work and play.

We tend to think of self-control as the holy grail: It helps us eat healthy, save for the rainy day, and not lash out at our parents over the holidays.

Researchers agree. They’ve called self-control “one of the most powerful and beneficial adaptations of the human psyche.”¹ It’s associated with many positive life outcomes, such as academic success and fewer impulsive behaviors like alcohol abuse.

But if self-control is such a lofty human adaptation, why do we ever fail at it? Is there something to be gleaned from an occasional lack of self-control?

This is an essay on the potential upside of failing at self-control with a bit of science mixed in.

The upside of failing at self-control: Being able to balance work and play. Photo by Tower Paddle Boards on Unsplash

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