The Depleting Resource of Willpower
Decision fatigue represents the psychological phenomenon where the quality of decisions deteriorates after an extended period of decisionmaking, regardless of the decisions' importance or complexity. This cognitive depletion occurs because willpower functions like a muscle that fatigues with continued use throughout the day, drawing from a limited pool of mental energy. Research from social psychologists like Roy Baumeister demonstrates this effect through studies showing that judges grant parole more frequently in morning sessions than in late afternoon, when decision fatigue has set in. The brain, seeking to conserve energy, begins to adopt shortcuts either making impulsive choices without proper consideration or avoiding decisions altogether by maintaining the status quo. This explains why shopping for nonessential items often becomes more impulsive later in the day and why major world leaders like Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg famously reduced daily clothing choices to conserve mental resources for more critical decisions. Shutdown123