Humans are prolific procrastinators. It’s easy to make plans and throw dates on your calendar, and yet it’s practically inevitable that you’ll let some deadlines fly by with reckless abandon. Our ...

In 1908, a young writer and novelist, Franz Kafka, was promoted to the position of chief clerk at the Workers’ Accident Insurance Institute in Prague. Prior to his promotion, Kafka would lament about ...

Plato, Socrates and Aristotle wrestled with the concept of akrasia –whether it’s possible to act against what you know to be good We all break promises that we make to ourselves. Our dedication to a ...

Instead of writing the book, Hugo spent the next year pursuing other projects, entertaining guests, and delaying his work on the text. Hugo’s publisher had become frustrated by his repeated ...

How our internet use is prone to the ancient vice of akrasia. The Stoic philosopher Seneca once wrote of the gladiatorial games in Rome, “Unhappy that I am, how have I deserved that I must look on ...

We’ve all had that moment. You promise yourself you’ll go to bed early, eat something healthy, start the project today—not tomorrow. And yet, hours later, you’re scrolling on your phone at midnight, ...