Self control
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- For other uses, see Self control (disambiguation).
Self control is the exertion of one's own will on their personal self - their behaviors, actions, thought processes. Much of this comes from the perception of self and the ability to set up boundaries for that self.self control is controling your self bywords actionsSelf-control can be expanded into several different areas, ranging from respect to willpower. Self-control has variable effects on people. It can be affected because of illness and past experiences and it can be improved through the course of life. It is a personal and development of the mind's creation and personality, thus the self-control of one's own mind will be varied from person to the next.Many religions have teachings about self control. In Galatians 5:22, Paul describes it as one of the fruits of the Spirit, and in Titus he says `Urge the younger men to be self controlled.' (2:6) Dhammapada 80 and 145 say, "Irrigators lead the waters. Fletchers bend the shafts. Carpenters bend wood. The virtuous control themselves."
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The importance of self control
In the 1960s, Walter Mischel tested four year old children for self control in "The Marshmallow Test". Follow up studies showed that the results correlated well with these childrens' success levels in later life. Also, in 1973, Dr. Grossarth-Maticek gave thousands of people psychometric tests, and a follow up study 21 years later showed that their life-expectancy was more strongly correlated with their assessed self-control level than anything else[1][2]. For example, smoking a packet of cigarettes per day would reduce your life by approximately 3,139 days, wheras the difference in life expectancy between poor self control and good self control is 7,518 days - nearly 21 years[3].
See also
Self Control as defined here is also known as impulse control or self regulation. Some psychologists prefer the term impulse control because it may be more precise and hopefully the Self is far more than impulses. The term Self regulation is used to refer to the many processes individuals use to manage drives and emotions. Therefore, self regulation also embodies the concept of will power. Self Regulation is an extremely important executive function of the brain. Deficits in self control/regulation are found in a large number of psychological disorders including ADHD, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, addiction, eating disorders and impulse control disorders[4].
References
- ^ http://www.attitudefactor.com/
- ^ http://www.grossarth-maticek.de/welcome.html
- ^ Life expectancy table in chapter 10 of Thomas Blakeslee's book, "The Attitude Factor"
- ^ Baumeister, RF, Vohs KD Handbook of Self Regulation:Research, Theory and Applications, Guilford Press, 2004
External links
- Develop Self Control
- Measuring Self Control
- Self Control in Religion
- Self Control Quotations
- Self Control Quotations
- B.F. Skinner's "Science and Human Behavior" Ch. XV "self-control" has many practical illustrations (free registration required)
- What is Impulse Control?
Categories
Articles to be expanded | Motivation | Social psychology | Virtues