Dan Ariely wishes to explore the various problems with the motivation of the modern individual - our desire to do things, the things we do in order to motivate ourselves, the level to which the conditions that we are in affect our decisions, etc. Two different attributes that are taken into consideration by Ariely include the influence of arousal and the problem of procrastination. In the former, he states that individuals make different decisions based on just how high their emotional state is. In the latter, however, Ariely argues that our need for instant gratification prevents us from being able to make long-term decisions, procrastinating on more difficult actions with more distant rewards for actions that provide short-term ones. These two ideas have their own similarities and differences, both providing unique and compelling reasons why we often focus on our immediate needs and not our long-term necessities.
According to Ariely, there are a lot of similarities between the influence of arousal and the problem of procrastination. Ariely mentions that the human being is not integrated, but is in fact an "agglomeration of multiple selves" (Ariely, p. 135). As a result, we often find ourselves in hot and cool states, where we make different kinds of decisions. Where arousal comes in is that, in a state of arousal, people will make more short-sighted decisions to relieve or fulfill that arousal. The same is true of procrastination; procrastination occurs because the individual is aroused in some way, and they will procrastinate on the less-fun, more challenging tasks to focus on what will bring them instant gratification in some way. "Giving up on our long-term goals for immediate gratification, my friends, is procrastination" (Ariely, p. 141).
However similar these concepts are, they are quite different in many unique ways. The influence of arousal is directly related to our emotional state, and one way of conquering it is to understand our own feelings. "To make informed decisions we need to somehow experience and understand the emotional state we will be in at the other side of the experience" (Ariely, p. 134). The problem with procrastination is not directly correlated to arousal; there are different factors that can weigh into this decision, and many people procrastinate while they are in a cool state as well as a hot state. "each of the problems we face has potential self-control mechanisms" (Ariely, p. 147). In essence, there is sometimes a factor of arousal that leads to procrastination, but one does not necessarily lead to the other. There are different factors that these decisions are concerned with; arousal involves the emotional, while procrastination can often involve the practical (holding off the performance of a task in order to do something that is important immediately, for example).
Understanding the difference between the two concepts helps us to comprehend exactly how our brains work. While arousal makes us take riskier decisions, procrastination can affect our self-control. Our ability to procrastinate and get away with it is directly blamed or attributed to the ability to have consequence-free credit cards, doctor's appointments, etc. Ariely, in fact, advocates for greater consequences to be levied against our mistakes (higher credit card late fees, overdrafts, etc.) in order to keep us accountable for our actions. Allowing us to get off scot-free on a mistake or inaction due to procrastination only breeds further procrastination in general.
I, for one, learned a great deal about what it means to delay gratification, and the reasons why I do what I do. I often find myself wishing that I could get an early start on assignments when they are assigned to me; I will tell myself that I will start on the assignment as soon as I get out of class for the day. However, by the time that happens, I am stressed out, exhausted, and I just want to relax. As a result, I decide to reward myself with a few hours of television, a nap, some video games, or even have a friend over. However, by the time I get done, I no longer feel like writing the assignment. After that, I cannot bring myself to get it done, opting instead for the instant gratification of rest or relaxation, or other things with more short-term goals.
Once enough time has passed, I find myself stressed out by the impending deadline of a paper. While in this aroused state, I will make bad decisions from time to time, like foregoing further research in lieu of filler writing, or not verifying sources as much as I could have. I will skim through research instead of thoroughly exploring it. These things are bad decisions made in the heat of arousal, which came about through my need to procrastinate in order to serve short-term needs. With that in mind, these two concepts play heavily into my decision making, much to my chagrin.
Works Cited
Ariely, Dan. Predictably Irrational.
