The beginning of each new year is usually the time chosen to adopt healthier habits, undertake new projects or set new professional and personal goals. And all of this requires a good deal of willpower . Scientists at Harvard University recently showed that taking actions that we consider morally "good" increases both will and physical stamina .
According to study co-author Kurt Gray, this is because we tend to view people who do good as "more effective, more self-controlled, and less sensitive to discomfort." When we ourselves do something positive for others, the way we perceive ourselves changes and we feel more capable of exercising self-control. "Gandhi or Mother Teresa of Calcutta did not have a special willpower, but they developed it by helping other people," suggests Gray, who calls this effect "moral transformation." "Perhaps the best way to resist a donut is to donate the money it costs to a just cause," the researcher proposes. Their findings were published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
