or How game theory causes schizophrenia
The big problem with motivation and resolve, I think, is that they always come at the wrong times.
For example, at 11pm at night when my regret at wasting the entire day doing nothing is at its peak, I make up my mind to get up at 6am, get some exercise, attend all my lessons, and go to the library. But come 6am my resolve is nowhere to be found and I silence the alarm clock (violently), a preclude to yet another day spent on little more than breakfast, lunch, dinner and Facebook.
Most, if not all of us find ourselves in this rut: we set New Year resolutions, swear off cigarettes and purchase gym memberships today, but when it comes to crunch time we struggle with doing what we had previously been so motivated to do.
We can see this problem as a conflict between ourselves in different times. The present self may want to stop smoking, while the future self cannot resist the temptation of a Marlboro. Both selves exist, but not at the same time, and both act rationally.
Now that we have established two parties with competing interests, let the game begin.
