Moralizing vs Mechanistic
The premise
I use computational models to understand my own behavior.
This wiki describes behavior in computational language: activation costs, scripts, state, caches and thresholds instead of laziness, discipline or willpower.
When work does not start, “I lack discipline” names the failure and gives little guidance about what to change. A description of what happened gives more: the first task was unclear, or something easier was within reach.
The models come from computer science, control theory, statistics and information theory. I use them as lenses for noticing what to change, and the glossary lists the translations.
I’m Will Chen, and these are my working notes. I test each idea on myself first, so something that holds for me may not hold for you.
Selected models
All articles
Translations
GlossaryProcrastination
You meant to work, and an hour later you are still on your phone.
Discipline
A morning can begin with the phone or with the gym. Which one happens depends partly on what each requires at that moment.
Motivation
A project that appealed to you last week can feel difficult to begin today.
Self-Control
Leaving junk food in the cupboard is a different task from never buying it.
Willpower
A failed attempt is often read as weakness before anyone examines the conditions it happened in.
