Akrasia: When we know what to do but don’t act on it
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I love the dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Gus adores all things Greek and believes that Windex can cure anything.
I just discovered the Greek word Akrasia. It reminded me of my favorite scene where Gus is speaking to schoolgirl.
“Gimme any word, and I'll show you how the root of that word is Greek.”
He explains how Arachnophobia comes from Arachna (spider) and Phobia (fear). But the girl lays down a real challenge:
“Okay, Mr. Portokalos. How about Kimono?”
He replies: “Kimono comes from the Greek word Himona, which means winter. So what do you wear in winter to stay warm? A robe!”
Back to real Greek words.
Akrasia is when we know what to do in theory, but don’t act on it in practice. The literal translation is "weakness of will."
It’s when we do or don’t do things that go against our better judgment. A powerful and common example of Akrasia is procrastination.
When we lack the courage to complete our next “life task”, thats Akrasia. The idea of “life tasks” comes from “The Courage to be Disliked”. That book rekindled my passion for taking courage and living deliberately.
Gus reckons there are two kinds of people: Greeks and everyone who wishes they were Greek. The real dividing line is between those who lack courage and those who take it.
He explains how Arachnophobia comes from Arachna (spider) and Phobia (fear). But the girl lays down a real challenge:
“Okay, Mr. Portokalos. How about Kimono?”
He replies: “Kimono comes from the Greek word Himona, which means winter. So what do you wear in winter to stay warm? A robe!”
Back to real Greek words.
Akrasia is when we know what to do in theory, but don’t act on it in practice. The literal translation is "weakness of will."
It’s when we do or don’t do things that go against our better judgment. A powerful and common example of Akrasia is procrastination.
When we lack the courage to complete our next “life task”, thats Akrasia. The idea of “life tasks” comes from “The Courage to be Disliked”. That book rekindled my passion for taking courage and living deliberately.
Gus reckons there are two kinds of people: Greeks and everyone who wishes they were Greek. The real dividing line is between those who lack courage and those who take it.