The metaphor of the song of the sirens and self-control

Do you consider yourself a person with good self-control strategies? The truth is that we are human and it is very easy to fall into temptations. We get caught up in attractive stimuli like an item of clothing, food, or technology in a department store. The world is like an ocean where the irresistible song of the sirens is always heard in the background.

However, Most of us try to set limits, apply some strategy that prevents us from losing control completely.. And this is when it can be very useful for us to remember a very specific moment in the story of Ulysses in the Iliad. It is the one in which, in his attempt to return home after the Trojan War, he is forced to cross that sea in which these creatures lived.

Knowing that whoever heard his song would be tempted to jump into the waters, Ulysses orders his crew to cover their ears, just as the sorceress Circe had recommended. However, he wanted to hear the famous song of the sirens and therefore, he decided to tie himself to the mast and ask his sailors not to untie him while they were passing through that area, even if he ordered it himself.

Ulysses carried out what in psychology we know as a “precommitment strategy.”. Tying himself to that mast was his forced self-control mechanism to not give in to temptation. Despite exposing himself to her out of curiosity, he managed to restrain himself. Somehow, we too must find a mast in our daily lives so as not to fall into the impulse and power of desires…

In our daily lives we must use self-control to avoid falling into counterproductive behaviors.

What is the metaphor of the siren song?

We understand self-control as that ability that makes it easier for us to master impulses, emotions and our behavior.. It is that regulated and rational behavior that differentiates us from animals and thanks to which we can achieve more enriching long-term goals. If we have this capacity that is so sophisticated and necessary at the same time, it is thanks to a very specific area of ​​our brain.

As studies such as the one carried out at Yale University reveal, The region that facilitates self-control is the prefrontal cortex. In fact, it is interesting to know that it is the region that takes the longest to mature. This explains why children and adolescents have serious problems controlling their impulses.

It is important to understand all this information to put ourselves in context about a new psychological term. The metaphor of the song of the sirens refers to the set of attractive stimuli that exist in our environment and that are difficult for us to resist.. In our daily scenarios there live an endless number of elements that, like the sirens in the Iliad, raise their voices and their beauty to make us fall into the abysses of regret. Also from unhealthy habits.

The song of the sirens in the 21st century

The metaphor of the siren song symbolizes, for example, those who cannot stop listening to the voice of their tobacco addiction and continue smoking two packs a day. Shops and supermarkets use siren songs when they decide how to arrange the products. He marketing and advertising are like those mythological creatures inviting us to buy non-stop.

Social networks are also full of siren songs. Each element, each color and each algorithm aims to ensure that we stay in front of the screen for as long as possible. We are not always aware of these phenomena, because mermaids are captivating and it is very difficult to resist their presence. However, the more we expose ourselves to them, the more we sink.

And this happens to us due to an undoubted fact. We are emotional beings and we do not always carry out reasoned behaviors. Impulses rule, emotions guide our reactions and It is not easy to put self-control into practice when the stimuli are so attractive…

The Precommitment Strategy: Self-Control is Healthy

The doctor Janet Schwartz of Tulane University conducted a very interesting experiment on this topic., which was later published in the journal Psychological Science. He proposed a program in South Africa called Discovery Vitality. It consisted of proposing that families purchase only healthy foods in supermarkets. If they did, they would receive a 25% discount on the entire purchase.

That program lasted 6 months and was a success. Families avoided purchasing foods rich in saturated fats, pre-cooked, etc. They carried out what is known as a “pre-commitment strategy.”That is, they were able to avoid the “siren song” of unhealthy foods to purchase those that were more recommended. They managed, in essence, to encourage a more “rational” purchase.

People who have better self-control rely more on good habits rather than willpower.

Let’s apply the Ulysses strategy

If we think about it, we don’t need third parties to reward us for us to implement healthier behavior patterns. We can all apply Ulysses’ strategy and develop our own pre-commitment strategies.. We can do it, for example, by carrying cash and not credit cards to have greater control over our purchases.

We can avoid the siren song in our mobile applications, limiting their use time. There are many masts to which we can tie ourselves from time to time like Ulysses to show us that we have control over our lives. Nobody has to do it for us. Let’s design our own self-control strategies to achieve our goals and have more satisfactory and healthy behavior.

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