Is impulse control and self-discipline more difficult in a fast-paced world?

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   Billie Kelpinposted 11 years ago

   Is impulse control and self-discipline more difficult in a fast-paced world?
   
   I was listening to a radio segment on texting and driving, and I'm wondering what happens in our minds to decide NOT to do it.  I was at a light and wanted to text and told myself "No, it's not worth risking another person's life."  I think there is that one second where we decide to cross over the line or not cross over the line in EVERYTHING we do.  We have enormous self-discipline, actually, during the course of the day.  I wonder if it's harder when we're so used to things happening so quickly.  I notice how incredibly fast 20 and 30 year olds function and just wonder about the effect.
   
   

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   duffsmomposted 11 years ago

   No, I think self-discipline and impulse control say more about us as an individual than what things are happening to us extraneously.  Your stopping and deciding not to text speaks to your internal workings, morality, conscience. I doubt that would change regardless of how fast paced life is.

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      Billie Kelpinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      could be... I wonder how that is learned - how we teach children - that one second decision seems to be critical -

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   lburmasterposted 11 years ago

   Self-discipline is difficult in a fast-paced world. We always expect for the answer to pop up on google, our books to arrive on our eReaders the day they come out, etc. When things are not so simple, our impulse control is definately challenged. Most of the time, we fail.
   My husband works in the automotive business and has to deal with a lot of people getting bad news that they vehicles will not work for a day or two. Honestly, I don't know how he does it.

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      Billie Kelpinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Our expectations of life, my own included, are as if we're all in the drive-up lane at McDonald's.  It's kind of like believing in magic.  I think because we don't see how things are produced. We assume everything is fast and easy.

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      ExpectGreatThingsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Good insight.

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   ExpectGreatThingsposted 11 years ago

   I do think impulse control and self-discipline are harder in today's world. We are so used to instant gratification that it is scary. We don't really have a need to practice patience or wait for anything.
   
   Our meals are faster to cook (or pick up at a fast food restaurant), we can Skype with Grandma instead of driving 2 hours to see her, email and cellphones provide instant communication, and because of credit cards we don't even need to wait to have all the money before making purchases.
   
   There is almost nothing built in to our actions that would cause us to stop before texting a friend at whatever moment we wanted to talk to her.

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      Billie Kelpinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you EGT   Great examples! To slow us down, I tried a "social basket" last Thanksgiving where everyone drops their electronic devices in at dinner  time. I caught one of our adult kids PRETENDING he dropped his phone in.I got him though! (Ha!)

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      ExpectGreatThingsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I've been threatening to do that for a while! My husband is the biggest objector to giving up his devices, but I may get the guts to do it this year! -Ginger

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   jennshealthstoreposted 11 years ago

   I think it depends on what it is. There are some things in life that I have great self discipline with, then others I feel like I have no control over. Like smoking for instance. I think to myself all the time how come I can make hard decisions and practice self discipline with so many things, but when it comes to something like quitting I have no control. I use to text and drive but I do not anymore because I see how it can cause a lot of harm to myself or others. But I do think you are on to something when you say that it is harder to exhibit self control with things that we are use to.

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      Billie Kelpinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Jenn, my husband smoked for 20 years.  He has the most extraordinary self-discipline in many areas, but quiting smoking was really hard for him, but he did it about 12 years ago.Re: impulse control-either it's harder or I'm becoming a mean old lady

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   DDEposted 11 years ago

   It all depends on how one can actually handle any situation some can go out of control and others may take  carefully consider these situations.

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      Billie Kelpinposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks DDE. true

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