"Sometimes you just have to pee in the sink." Charles Bukowski
March 7, 2011 8:02 AM Subscribe
Full Bladder, Better Decisions? Study says controlling your bladder decreases impulsive choices.
eat my hate
Eat My Hate was my favorite L7 album.
posted by Sticherbeast at 8:22 AM on March 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
Eat My Hate was my favorite L7 album.
posted by Sticherbeast at 8:22 AM on March 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
Ironically failing to control my bladder is my favorite impulsive choice.
But seriously folks... This is awesome actually, I stopped reading the article so I wouldn't feel obligated to critique the science too closely, I'm just down with the premise: from now on, no important decisions (barring emergencies of course) except when I badly need to take a piss. I'm off the hook all the rest of the time! Why risk a suboptimal decision when such a simple, accessible cognitive enhancement is available?
posted by nanojath at 8:23 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
But seriously folks... This is awesome actually, I stopped reading the article so I wouldn't feel obligated to critique the science too closely, I'm just down with the premise: from now on, no important decisions (barring emergencies of course) except when I badly need to take a piss. I'm off the hook all the rest of the time! Why risk a suboptimal decision when such a simple, accessible cognitive enhancement is available?
posted by nanojath at 8:23 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
tl;dp
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:26 AM on March 7, 2011 [7 favorites]
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 8:26 AM on March 7, 2011 [7 favorites]
I'm just happy to have one more way to justify my excessive coffee and alcohol intake. IT HELPS ME THINK GODDAMMIT.
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 8:27 AM on March 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by dixiecupdrinking at 8:27 AM on March 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
I think even better when I'm touching cloth.
posted by orme at 8:31 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by orme at 8:31 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I wonder if they controlled for age of the experimental subjects.
posted by Obscure Reference at 8:34 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Obscure Reference at 8:34 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I blame needing to pee for the poor navigation which caused my very bad no good car crash.
posted by mkb at 8:35 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mkb at 8:35 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
When I'm sitting around with a full bladder, the only thing I want to do is go to the bathroom. Ergo: Peeing is the most intelligent thing I do all day.
posted by PlusDistance at 8:36 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by PlusDistance at 8:36 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Trying to implement this is a good way to develop more bladder infections.
posted by Jacqueline at 8:37 AM on March 7, 2011
posted by Jacqueline at 8:37 AM on March 7, 2011
Hey, this explains why babies make so many questionable decisions.
posted by namasaya at 8:50 AM on March 7, 2011 [8 favorites]
posted by namasaya at 8:50 AM on March 7, 2011 [8 favorites]
Good lord, I can't think how absolutely wrong this is for me. When my bladder is full I get extremely irritable, lose all attention span and can think of only one thing: peeing. If I make a decision during this time, it is likely to be a snap decision that is the easiest possible so I can get to the peeing as quickly as possible. I become temporarily insane.
posted by Bovine Love at 9:27 AM on March 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
posted by Bovine Love at 9:27 AM on March 7, 2011 [4 favorites]
Universal catheter usage would clearly make the world a better place!
posted by sammyo at 9:47 AM on March 7, 2011
posted by sammyo at 9:47 AM on March 7, 2011
Also, long stretches without bathroom breaks, repeated consistently over years, are a risk factor for later vaginal vault prolapse. If ever there were a case of choosing the long-term benefit over the short-term...I'm going with 'minimize risk factors for later vaginal vault prolapse.'
posted by Uniformitarianism Now! at 9:52 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Uniformitarianism Now! at 9:52 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Imagine a re-run of history where certain key individuals weren't able to take a piss at that crucial decision-taking moment. Attilla The Hen decides not to change his name to Hun and goes shopping instead of sacking Rome......
I am, of course, taking the piss.
posted by gallus at 9:59 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
I am, of course, taking the piss.
posted by gallus at 9:59 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Well, it worked for Tycho Brahe.
posted by Sticherbeast at 10:03 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Sticherbeast at 10:03 AM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
It's how I get through long stretches of thesis writing. I am writing a psychology thesis, but not on this topic. Clearly I should have been writing about what I know.
posted by willhopkins at 10:21 AM on March 7, 2011
posted by willhopkins at 10:21 AM on March 7, 2011
Definitely. I always make my best decisions after a few beers. They're usually along the lines of "I'll have another beer".
posted by Decani at 10:26 AM on March 7, 2011
posted by Decani at 10:26 AM on March 7, 2011
Actually, I highlighted this study in my FPP from a few days ago. It's the last link in that FPP.
posted by VikingSword at 10:45 AM on March 7, 2011
posted by VikingSword at 10:45 AM on March 7, 2011
Ah. Yet another example of the Science News Cycle.
A full bladder does not cause you to be less impulsive. That is, if you hold your pee right now for the next 6 hours and then go shopping, your full bladder will not cause you to make fewer impulse purchases.
It is the ability to control your bladder that generalizes to other situations which require self-control. Being able to control your bladder indicates that you have more self-control than someone who is unable to control their bladder. So, if you hold your pee for a long time day in day out for 6 months or a year, then maybe just maybe you'll be less impulsive in other areas of your life.
posted by tybeet at 11:09 AM on March 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
A full bladder does not cause you to be less impulsive. That is, if you hold your pee right now for the next 6 hours and then go shopping, your full bladder will not cause you to make fewer impulse purchases.
It is the ability to control your bladder that generalizes to other situations which require self-control. Being able to control your bladder indicates that you have more self-control than someone who is unable to control their bladder. So, if you hold your pee for a long time day in day out for 6 months or a year, then maybe just maybe you'll be less impulsive in other areas of your life.
posted by tybeet at 11:09 AM on March 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
Actually, what happens is, your bladder will enlarge, and so in the future you'll be better equipped in a crisis to play out the crisis where others would have to run to the bathroom.
posted by Goofyy at 12:03 PM on March 7, 2011
posted by Goofyy at 12:03 PM on March 7, 2011
dumb sac of piss.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:08 PM on March 7
*scribbles in 'Handy Notebook of Insults'*
posted by Decani at 12:25 PM on March 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Burhanistan at 8:08 PM on March 7
*scribbles in 'Handy Notebook of Insults'*
posted by Decani at 12:25 PM on March 7, 2011 [2 favorites]
"We're not going to be tyranized by our bladders.
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:25 PM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Joey Michaels at 2:25 PM on March 7, 2011 [1 favorite]
Excuse me, but Oh Twaddle.
There aren't enough ways to suffer in life? Now we're supposed to dance around enduring unnecessary pain -- completely ignoring what our 4-billion-year-old bodies are telling us -- because Scott Walker thinks it builds character?
To quote one of my favorite Zen Masters, DaVinci: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
posted by Twang at 3:45 PM on March 7, 2011
There aren't enough ways to suffer in life? Now we're supposed to dance around enduring unnecessary pain -- completely ignoring what our 4-billion-year-old bodies are telling us -- because Scott Walker thinks it builds character?
To quote one of my favorite Zen Masters, DaVinci: Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
posted by Twang at 3:45 PM on March 7, 2011
I very seldom wish for a downvote on MeFi. THIS one made me.
posted by Twang at 3:47 PM on March 7, 2011
posted by Twang at 3:47 PM on March 7, 2011
Mostly, having a full bladder and suppressing the need to pee makes me think of UTIs, and how much they absolutely suck.
"You know what? I'm going to avail myself of the facilities RIGHT NOW." is often the best decision that one could make on a full bladder. So there ya go.
posted by louche mustachio at 5:22 PM on March 7, 2011
"You know what? I'm going to avail myself of the facilities RIGHT NOW." is often the best decision that one could make on a full bladder. So there ya go.
posted by louche mustachio at 5:22 PM on March 7, 2011
That article is so totally right. When my bladder is full all I want to do is pee, so I go to the bathroom. That's a better decision than peeing in my pants (less laundry, etc.).
posted by deborah at 5:30 PM on March 7, 2011
posted by deborah at 5:30 PM on March 7, 2011
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posted by The Whelk at 8:08 AM on March 7, 2011 [3 favorites]