Roy Baumeister: Why Willpower Is a Real and Depletable Resource

Roy Baumeister joins Theories of Everything to explore free will, self‑control, and how rejection and belonging shape human behavior. The conversation examines the science behind ego depletion, decision fatigue, and differing perspectives on free will.

- 00:00 - Intro
- 02:16 - The Human Mind
- 09:45 - Language
- 15:34 - Do Animates Have Free Will?
- 20:02 - Robert Sapolsky
- 28:20 - Different Free Will Outlooks
- 40:54 - Ego Depletion & Decision Fatigue
- 50:26 - Self Regulation
- 55:44 - Left vs. Right Brain
- 59:15 - Willpower
- 01:12:49 - How To Increase Willpower
- 01:19:15 - Opposing Mainstream Views
- 01:20:08 - What Needs More Attention?
- 01:21:59 - Prejudices In America
- 01:26:25 - Q&A
- 01:38:38 - Support TOE

SPONSORS:

- Patreon: early access to ad‑free audio episodes! https://patreon.com/curtjaimungal
- Crypto: https://tinyurl.com/cryptoTOE
- PayPal: https://tinyurl.com/paypalTOE
- TOE Merch: https://tinyurl.com/TOEmerch

RESOURCES:

- https://www.curtjaimungal.org
- Debate Between Roy Baumeister & Robert Sapolsky - https://youtu.be/xeb98U9d1hg
- Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength - https://a.co/d/4PMNQyX
- Intersectional Implicit Bias - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35587425/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoriesofeverythingpod
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theoriesofeverything_
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TOEwithCurt
- Discord Invite: https://discord.com/invite/kBcnfNVwqs
- iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/better-left-unsaid-with-curt-jaimungal/id1521758802
- Pandora: https://pdora.co/33b9lfP
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4gL14b92xAErofYQA7bU4e
- Subreddit r/TheoriesOfEverything: https://reddit.com/r/theoriesofeverything

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal features long-form, technically detailed interviews with leading researchers in physics, mathematics, consciousness, and philosophy, exploring topics at the level of active research. For academics, graduate students, and anyone seeking depth beyond popular science.

SPONSOR: I subscribe to The Economist for their science and tech coverage. As a TOE listener, get 35% off! No other podcast has this: https://economist.com/TOE

FOLLOW: Substack | Spotify | YouTube | Twitter

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices