FatherFestivus t1_j37vt82 wrote
Reply to comment by JustAPerspective in Our ability to resist temptation depends on how fragmented one's mind is | On the inconsistencies in one’s mental setup by IAI_Admin
> suggests that our ability to avoid temptation is a function of our socio-economic back-ground and/or the behaviors of our parents
> So it doesn't bode well for our ability to improve temptation avoidance as adults
I don't understand why this is the case. Our lives and behaviour as adults are significantly different to when we were children.
JustAPerspective t1_j38gj0w wrote
>Our lives and behaviour as adults are significantly different to when we were children.
One can see by the "u" in your 'behavior' (😎) an automatic indicator that how one is raised influences choices later in life.
FatherFestivus t1_j38kndw wrote
As a child, I spelt the word differently. Then I moved to England and started intentionally spelling it the British way. I still live in Britain so I don't want to change that.
If I now decide to move to the US, I might decide to start spelling it the American way, and if I put in a little effort to change that habit I think I would be able to achieve that.
Personality, behaviour, habits etc... are not static. We're constantly shaped by our experiences in life. That includes- but is not limited to- the experiences we have early in life. But that doesn't say anything about our ability to change behaviour later in life.
JustAPerspective t1_j38l9gf wrote
>Personality, behaviour, habits etc... are not static.
Correct, and please note that no one here said they are.
Simply put, childhood oft influences people well into and beyond adulthood. If you don't believe that, cool - you're not interested in that discussion.
No one is saying, or implying, that people can't change. So what's your point, precisely?
FatherFestivus t1_j38pxas wrote
> So what's your point, precisely?
The study measures ability to avoid temptation in children at one point in time, it doesn't measure how this ability changes over time. So it doesn't make sense to make any claim about an adult's ability to improve temptation avoidance, because the study doesn't measure that.
You could measure the ability to walk in a set of toddlers, but that doesn't imply that it doesn't bode well for our ability to walk as adults.
JustAPerspective t1_j3919dq wrote
>You could measure the ability to walk in a set of toddlers, but that doesn't imply that it doesn't bode well for our ability to walk as adults.
It would be irresponsible to ignore the possibility that the walking difficulty as a toddler might indicate an adjustment is needed so that it doesn't alter the individual as an adult.
You seem to be conflating an indicator for an absolute.
Larcecate t1_j3984qc wrote
Ive met so many people who grew up poor and got into insane debt even with high income jobs.
Take the same jobs, but a person who grew up wealthy, no debt.
Theres definitely something to it either in terms of availability or resources, peer group, or something else.
leevei t1_j3brbwx wrote
They're describing what the premise "Ability to resist temptation depends on parents socioeconomic background" could cause. You, me and them all know that seems unlikely, so the premise probably needs tweaking.
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