Ego depletion is quite a narrow psychological effect. If the idea that people’s moment to moment fatigue saps moment to moment willpower is debunked, that’s far from showing that akrasia isn’t a thing in general.
In a world where general-sense akrasia was not a thing there would be a far higher rate of people being ripped like movie stars, a far lower rate of smoking, a much high rate of personal savings etc than there is in the world we inhabit.
The willpower argument is actually quite good. There are ways to reduce the amount of willpower required, but the kernel of the argument applies.
My prediction for people who constantly feel bad for not living up to an exacting standard is that a majority will fall off the boat entirely.
Willpower is likely not a valid model — see the top-level comment by MichaelStJules below.
The point remains valid, though, that people are only willing to change their lives so much.
Ego depletion is quite a narrow psychological effect. If the idea that people’s moment to moment fatigue saps moment to moment willpower is debunked, that’s far from showing that akrasia isn’t a thing in general.
In a world where general-sense akrasia was not a thing there would be a far higher rate of people being ripped like movie stars, a far lower rate of smoking, a much high rate of personal savings etc than there is in the world we inhabit.