Could imagining yourself doing bad or good increase your will power?

Psychologists have been aware for decades of a phenomenon known as “priming.”  In which thinking about a concept can cause you to behave in ways aligned with that concept.

For example, in one study having college students complete crossword puzzles that had words such as “old” in it caused them to behave in ways more stereotypically associated with old people.  As a result, they walked down a hallway much slower than participants that filled out a neutral crossword because “old” is associated with “slow.”

It turns out that many people associate greater self-control and endurance to people who are moral.  So researchers wanted to see if thinking about morality actually increased will power and physical endurance.

In one of three experiments they had participants hold a weight in their hand to see how long they could hold it to get a measure of their strength.  Then they had the participants hold the same weight again while writing one of three stories.

One group wrote stories of themselves doing a good deed.  Another group wrote neutral stories and yet another group wrote stories of themselves doing a bad deed.

What they found was that people who imagined themselves doing good or bad deeds held the weight longer than they did before – proving that thinking about morality actually increases endurance.  Those in the neutral condition experienced no change.

In another experiment they had people hold a weight after donating to charity or keeping some money for themselves and they got similar results: those who donated were stronger than those who kept the money.

What researchers conclude is that behaving in a moral way increases will power.  People like Gandhi or Mother Theresa may not have been born with great wills.  They may have developed them through their moral actions.

They also suggest that people could use the strategy of helping others to increase their ability to resist temptation.  So a person who wants to avoid eating those donuts at work might try giving away some spare change on the way to the office.

What I take from this is that if you are thinking of doing some good in the world but are holding back because you are not sure you have the ability, you may want to think again.

It could be that the only way you’ll develop the traits needed to accomplish your goal is by setting out to achieve it in the first place.

What do you think of this research?  How might you apply it?  Please leave your comments below.

Reference to study above:

Gray, K. (in press). Moral transformation: Good and evil turn the weak into the mighty. Social Psychological and Personality Science.


    8 replies to "How Being Bad Can Raise Your Will Power"

    • Karen Wilson Wehrle

      As a child I was an incredible idealist who wanted to somehow make the world a better place. According to this research, I should just start doing what I can. What an astonishing thought!

      Others say, “Be the change you want to see.” So it starts with me pursuing my vision of my ideal self? As long as I measure my progress from where I WAS versus the impossible future angel-wings version of me, it’s all good. Ha-ha! Thanks!

      Today’s step: clear out more clutter. Sweet!

      • Rodney Daut

        Karen,

        Thanks for your comment. Yes start anywhere. If you are helping people or doing something you perceive to be a moral good, you will build the strength to do more. So yes, start today.

        Rodney

    • […] This post was mentioned on Twitter by roddaut, Karen. Karen said: RT @roddaut Raise Will Power By Being Bad (Or Good) http://bit.ly/94u4V5 >Super! […]

    • Sheila Atwood

      When we have committed acts we consider damaging to others we hold ourselves back. We try to keep ourselves from committing the harmful act again. With every harmful act we become less and less willing to participate in life.

      Starting with and adhering to a moral code is a good way to get back on track.

      The ideal scene is to understand that ethics are personal and the power to reason out what is best. It boils down to those who have personal integrity are more willing.

      Loved this post!

    • Ma-Luschka Colindres

      On January 12th 2010 in Haiti, when 4 other colleagues and I immediately set out to help the hurt and injured after the earthquake, we had never imagined that we would have the strenght to carry badly wounded bodies, lifeless bodies, clean petrified wound, or even work all night. To tell you the truth, sleep, hunger was the last thing on our minds, we worked together as if we had received medical training for emergency situation, which was not the case. I think that the importance of our presence, the wounds we were treating, the lives we were saving took precedence over any other physiological need we may have had. I don’t recall at any moment where we wanted to stop, it was just one injured after the other until there were no more injured in the soccer field that we had not attended to. The energy came from helping others in extreme immediate need as there was no one else to help them.
      I agree with the article, all it takes it to begin doing good deeds.

    • Piotr Krzyzek

      These are some very interesting insights. Hmm… though it’s kind of scary that people writing about evil deeds would also get stronger. That’s kind of a bummer, though I’m very glad to know that thinking of good deeds can increase strength a bit too.

      It makes sense. Thinking for one removes your concentration on the weight and therefore and do a bit more. Also, thinking of good things increases happy hormones into the brain and blood stream (such as endorphins) which are known to increase tolerances and what not.

      Thanks for info!
      –PK

    • Mike

      This is fascinating… I’ve really enjoyed the articles on your blog and they’ve been helpful to me. Thank you!

      • Rodney Daut

        Mike,

        I’m glad my articles have been helpful to you.

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