People have a limited supply of willpower.

The brain has a limited capacity for self-regulation, so exerting willpower in one area often leads to backsliding in others. The good news, however, is that practice increases willpower capacity, so that in the long run, buying less now may improve our ability to achieve future goals -- like losing those 10 pounds we gained when we weren't out shopping.

This explains *so much*.

Tags for this entry:  science 

This entry was published in April 2008.

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