How to Build Free Will & Self-Control [Psychology of Default Behaviours]

Developing the freedom to choose how you respond to situations in life is a core part of building a growth mindset.

A fixed mindset approach leaves you at the mercy of events in life that will make you angry or sad and blame your circumstances with no control from you. A growth mindset allows you to build the space to determine how you react in any situation and be the person you want to be rather than the person the world pushes you to be.

To achieve that we examine:

The nature of Free Will and desire

The role of our consciousness as an observer and actor

Unconscious thought processes and behaviours

How to master control of our responses in any situation

How to observe physical and mental pain with curiosity

This episode touches on some very important concepts deep in the fabric of our experiencing self as a human being. By understanding internal processes we can better control our actions and outcomes in life.

Upgrade to Premium: 🏖️ Ad-free listening 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMA's and bonus content 💬 Community Discord GrowthMindset.Supercast.com

Sponsors: 🥙 😋 Factor: 50% off code GROWTHMINDSET50

🪒 🦁 ManScaped: 20% Off + Free Shipping - code GROWTH

📚 🤓 ShortForm: Free trial + 20% off - code PSYCHOLOGY

Books

Upside of Irrationality - Dan Ariely

Free Will - Sam Harris

Conscious - Annika Harris

The Map is Mostly Water - David Foster Wallace

Man's Search For Meaning - Viktor Frankl

Recommended Episodes

Thinking Fast and Slow: How to make better decisions - 12th July 2024

Ego Blindspots: 9 Cognitive Biases to avoid - 7th May 2024

5 Stoic Principles for Creating Happiness Now - 5th Nov 2023

10 powerful Stoic Questions (for a full life) - 6th Feb 2024

Meet Sam

Free Call - Schedule Link

Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement.

Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset)

Website - GrowthMindsetPodcast.com

Insta - SamJam.zen

Newsletter - Expansive Thinking

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Personal Growth and Free Will 01:59 Understanding Fixed and Growth Mindsets 02:08 The Complexity of Psychology and Mindsets 03:34 Episode plan - Diving into Consciousness and Free Will 05:12 Habits and conscious and unconscious behaviour 06:44 Case Study: The Sleepwalking Killer + The Compulsive Gambler 11:44 Understanding the Limits of Free Will 15:35 The Role of Desires and External Influences 18:24 Conscious vs Subconscious thoughts and memories 21:50 Building Free Will and Autonomy and issues with Fixed mindset 25:38 Victor Frankl's Insights on building Free Will in everyday life 28:17 Understanding Emotional Triggers 30:25 David Foster Wallace on Thinking and Free Will 33:10 The Psychology of Revenge 38:33 Pain and Free Will - How meditation helps us control our reactions 45:29 Applying Free Will in Daily Life 47:02 Conclusion and Further Reading Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices