Glucose Equals Free Will
Dec 30, 2008 General Nonsense |
I always need to eat something before I attempt writing or else nothing comes out. I eat exactly one banana before I write a blog post, and one chocolate Clif Builder's bar before writing a comic. I always assumed this was just a combination of ordinary hunger plus a habit that borders on OCD. The only thing I knew for sure was that deviating from the routine seriously impeded my productivity.
Recently a reader sent me a link about a writer who has the same experience but better research to explain why. The bottom line is that writing requires will power to avoid distraction, and will power is correlated with your glucose levels. In other words, your free will is actually sugar.
Recently a reader sent me a link about a writer who has the same experience but better research to explain why. The bottom line is that writing requires will power to avoid distraction, and will power is correlated with your glucose levels. In other words, your free will is actually sugar.
http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/2008/03/practicing_selfcontrol_consume.php
This makes me wonder if there is an optimal food strategy for seduction. Apparently bringing a woman chocolate will only increase her glucose levels and with that her ability to resist you. In fact, a guy should want his woman to be good and hungry, preferably on a diet. It turns out that resisting one sort of temptation makes it harder to resist a different sort at the same time.
If that is not enough, I just did a Google search to confirm that alcohol lowers your glucose levels. That fits the theory. Everyone knows they have less will power after a few drinks.
Putting it all together, the best first date a guy could arrange would involve a woman who is on a diet to begin with. Eating is the first temptation she is trying to resist, making other temptations that much harder to resist. The date would start at around 5 pm when her glucose levels are starting to drop and the seducer should keep her hungry as long as possible. Add some alcohol to the mix and her glucose will drop further. Now add yet another temptation. I'm thinking a stroll through a high-end shopping center would work, as long as the woman believed it would be rude to actually purchase something while on a first date. She would be tempted to pop into the stores to take a better look, but she would resist.
And you thought science wasn't good for anything.
Votes: +7
Comments
User Name: tartanmarine
Jan 14, 2009
0
Wish you'd told me when I was young and single & could research it for you.
My strategy was that if you got to bat a lot, you'd get hits. Seemed to work.
When I was a state legislator, I found that a title helped. Later, I got into Scottish dancing and discovered that a kilt is magic. Try it, guys.
My strategy was that if you got to bat a lot, you'd get hits. Seemed to work.
When I was a state legislator, I found that a title helped. Later, I got into Scottish dancing and discovered that a kilt is magic. Try it, guys.
User Name: GrimSlayerette
Jan 7, 2009
0
Happy New Year!
I'm sorry to spoil all the fun but do you know what (sometimes) happens if a woman gets too hungry (e.g. low glucose levels)?
Apart from the nagging thing she gets...
...Headaches!!!
;-)
I'm sorry to spoil all the fun but do you know what (sometimes) happens if a woman gets too hungry (e.g. low glucose levels)?
Apart from the nagging thing she gets...
...Headaches!!!
;-)
User Name: Alanc
Jan 6, 2009
0
"...your free will is actually sugar."
Scott ~ The word "power" in "Will power" implies that Will in general is strength. But if it's weak, it's not due to lack of sugar; the Will is weak because of lack of exercise...
A quote: "Training the Will is very much the same as training the muscles. Its development is gradual. Only Will can develop Will; consequently you begin with what Will you have and expand and strengthen it through its action upon itself. The weak Will manifests in two phases; over-action and under-action; the former as impulsiveness, impetuousness and the like, and the latter as lethargy, phlegmatism, etc." -- Author unknown.
...Will is attention and attention is Will. So one way to "expand and strengthen Will through its action upon itself" is to pay attention to your peripheral vision. As Will attracts more Will, you'll feel the energy (via resonance) of that fundamental "law of attraction" you've mentioned in previous blog entries. Here are some 15th c. portraits of men strengthening their Will by paying attention to their peripheral vision:
http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=21816
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Hans_Memling_024.jpg
http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=21815
Scott ~ The word "power" in "Will power" implies that Will in general is strength. But if it's weak, it's not due to lack of sugar; the Will is weak because of lack of exercise...
A quote: "Training the Will is very much the same as training the muscles. Its development is gradual. Only Will can develop Will; consequently you begin with what Will you have and expand and strengthen it through its action upon itself. The weak Will manifests in two phases; over-action and under-action; the former as impulsiveness, impetuousness and the like, and the latter as lethargy, phlegmatism, etc." -- Author unknown.
...Will is attention and attention is Will. So one way to "expand and strengthen Will through its action upon itself" is to pay attention to your peripheral vision. As Will attracts more Will, you'll feel the energy (via resonance) of that fundamental "law of attraction" you've mentioned in previous blog entries. Here are some 15th c. portraits of men strengthening their Will by paying attention to their peripheral vision:
http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=21816
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Hans_Memling_024.jpg
http://www.artrenewal.org/asp/database/image.asp?id=21815
User Name: webgrunt
Dec 31, 2008
0
This certainly works with overeating. If I eat a couple boxes of Oreos or a gallon of ice cream, I suddenly have the willpower to resist junk food for a couple hours.
User Name: Jibble67
Dec 31, 2008
0
I suggest turkey.
After a couple of plates of turkey I'm, always like, whatever, dude. Just let me go to sleep afterward.
After a couple of plates of turkey I'm, always like, whatever, dude. Just let me go to sleep afterward.
User Name: KevinKunreuther
Dec 31, 2008
0
It helps if you are marginally attractive or better in some way, unless she's just a glucose deficient !$%*!
User Name: The Pocket
Dec 30, 2008
0
Wow, this is the first time I've actually been compelled to thank you for your advice, and oddly enough it has nothing to do with the bulk of the post (the sex part). I too write a comic strip, and I often have trouble concentrating on crafting the next day's installment. I'm going to try moving that part of my day to right after meals and see if it has any effect.
User Name: phuesken
Dec 30, 2008
0
So now i´m wondering...
How low does our glucose level have to be in order to be tempted to start using your crappy filesharing tool ?
How low does our glucose level have to be in order to be tempted to start using your crappy filesharing tool ?
User Name: Dog of Justice
Dec 30, 2008
0
Trickypickle: No. The last entry on this subject referenced the result that willpower acts like a finite resource, and recommended taking a girl shopping to exhaust her willpower (which reappeared at the end of this entry, hence the deja vu), but it said nothing about blood glucose level.
User Name: arbyisme
Dec 30, 2008
+1
From eating a banana to getting laid. That is quite a leap of the imagination. Maybe you are just feeling randy in the morning. Go back to bed.
User Name: Argetlam42
Dec 30, 2008
+4
Actually, glucose gives you the energy to carry out your free will. Consider a car: gasoline is necessary to drive, but it is not the same as the driver.
You already have the intentions of writing in your mind. You just need energy to do it.
You already have the intentions of writing in your mind. You just need energy to do it.
User Name: andywest
Dec 30, 2008
0
I'm no major seductionist, god knows, but I have the feeling that if you're looking for "Better seduction through biochemistry!", you've probably missed the point by a long, long way already. Basically, you're trying to make palm trees by changing the colour of snowflakes in the Antarctic. Statistics hide a multitude of variation folks, be glad :)
User Name: ncsnipes
Dec 30, 2008
0
Giving a woman chocolate will only increase her glucose when she actually eats it; if she doesn't rip open the box and stuff them straight away (which is probably bad manners) I reckon the anticipation of chocolate will increase her insulin and lower the glucose – giving chocolate is good.
User Name: bugabago
Dec 30, 2008
+5
You are assuming that a woman having sex with you is a "temptation".
User Name: mr-tom
Dec 30, 2008
+2
Interesting.
Isn't weight loss a matter of willpower?
If so, there is a curious paradox in that the only way to get thin is to eat food that makes you fat...
Isn't weight loss a matter of willpower?
If so, there is a curious paradox in that the only way to get thin is to eat food that makes you fat...
User Name: jerryham
Dec 30, 2008
0
Scott, I know you always say "Free will doesn't exist" and "willpower doesn't exist" and that it basically comes down to enjoyment units or pleasure units or whatever. Now - let me get this straight. You are saying to free your willy, you must rely on will power (that doesn't exist). Dang it, that means I don't get to get my pleasure unit out.
User Name: PeterZeroOne
Dec 30, 2008
+2
SCOTT
"Apparently bringing a woman chocolate will only increase her glucose levels and with that her ability to resist you. "
Actually, here your logic is broken, Scott. You assume that you are "tempting" to the woman as if you were some sort of hunky George Clooney figure. For me and you and most of the rest of us, our women actually require willpower IN ORDER TO sleep with us. Thus, you want to make sure a woman has had a few Mars bars so she can stomach having sex with you.
SCOTT
"alcohol lowers your glucose levels. That fits the theory. Everyone knows they have less will power after a few drinks."
I think the mechanism by which alcohol lowers inhibitions is more complicated than low glucose levels, though I'm no doctor.
"Apparently bringing a woman chocolate will only increase her glucose levels and with that her ability to resist you. "
Actually, here your logic is broken, Scott. You assume that you are "tempting" to the woman as if you were some sort of hunky George Clooney figure. For me and you and most of the rest of us, our women actually require willpower IN ORDER TO sleep with us. Thus, you want to make sure a woman has had a few Mars bars so she can stomach having sex with you.
SCOTT
"alcohol lowers your glucose levels. That fits the theory. Everyone knows they have less will power after a few drinks."
I think the mechanism by which alcohol lowers inhibitions is more complicated than low glucose levels, though I'm no doctor.
User Name: Zuluwarrior
Dec 30, 2008
0
Dil Dude,
Now if science could only create a bionic woman ala "Blade Runner" style. 99% of men's problems would be solved. You mixed "9 1/2 weeks" with the Discovery Channel here. Maybe you should eat 2 bananas from now on.
Shaka
Now if science could only create a bionic woman ala "Blade Runner" style. 99% of men's problems would be solved. You mixed "9 1/2 weeks" with the Discovery Channel here. Maybe you should eat 2 bananas from now on.
Shaka
