Resist Acting “Akrasia” for the Remainder of Your Quarantine

Fight the urge to take one more bite.

Photo by Tengyart on Unsplash

My brother wants to lose ten pounds. He’s off to a great start. He’s been waking up early and going for a run, he’s been cooking all his own meals, and he’s been skipping dessert, which is his absolute favorite. But the other day, we ordered Italian food. And although A stuck to his salad with grilled chicken, the restaurant gave us some homemade cookies as a way to thank us for trusting and supporting their business.

I watched my brother’s eyes scan over the plastic container of warm, sweet, chocolate chip delicacies. I saw his hand come up and then immediately go back down. He shook his head to himself, thinking nobody was watching.

My dad reached for a cookie and bit down. Wow, did they look soft. I decided to try one as well. Wow, they were soft. My mom got in on the action too, gushing over the wonderful ratio of chocolate chips the cookie contained. Finally, A swooped his hand into the container and grabbed a treat. “I’ll just have one.” He smiled.

This is the concept of akrasia. In this scenario, A had acted akratically.

You’ve been home for weeks now, months even. You and your family and loved ones are thankfully safe and healthy and happy. You’ve been reading the…