---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: people are first depleted by a task in…"
description: "\"“people are first depleted by a task in which they eat virtuous foods such as radishes and celery while resisting the temptation to indulge in chocolat..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/daniel-kahneman-431_food_people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-w_352957.jpg"
---

#  people are first depleted by a task in which they eat…

![“people are first depleted by a task in which they eat virtuous foods such as radishes and celery while resisting the temptation to indulge in chocolate and rich cookies. Later, these people will give up earlier than normal when faced with a difficult cognitive task.” quote by Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/daniel-kahneman-431_food_people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-w_352957.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/daniel-kahneman-431_food_people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-w_352957.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/daniel-kahneman-431_food_people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-w_352957.jpg)

> ““people are first depleted by a task in which they eat virtuous foods such as radishes and celery while resisting the temptation to indulge in chocolate and rich cookies. Later, these people will give up earlier than normal when faced with a difficult cognitive task.””

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Resisting temptations depletes mental resources, leading to earlier fatigue on later tasks.

**In simple terms:** Self‑control drains mental energy.

Key Takeaway

Conserve willpower, plan breaks.

Themes

self‑control mental fatigue decision making

Mood

analytical cautious pragmatic

Type

scientific psychological

When to use this quote

- studying
- exam preparation
- work deadlines
- dieting

Key Concepts

ego depletion cognitive load

Questions to Reflect On

- Can you schedule demanding tasks after breaks?
- How might you reduce temptation exposure?

A Different Perspective

Willpower can be replenished with rest or glucose.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Celery Resisting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/celery-resisting-3257412/) [Difficult Cognitive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difficult-cognitive-3257413/) [Eat Virtuous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eat-virtuous-3257410/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Resisting temptation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/resisting-temptation/) [Virtuous Foods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtuous-foods-3257411/)

## Related quotes

> [I nibbled my lower lip. "If you could see into my past just by touching my back, you'd have a hard time resisting the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/i-nibbled-my-lower-lip-if-you-could-see-into-my-past-just-by-touching/)

[Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/)

> [Man shall not live by bread alone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matthew-mcconaughey/man-shall-not-live-by-bread-alone/)

[Matthew McConaughey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matthew-mcconaughey/)

> [He who cannot resist temptation is not a man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/he-who-cannot-resist-temptation-is-not-a-man/)

[Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/)

> [“Because self-control requires energy, which means we have less energy available for the next thing we need to do. And that’s why resisting temptation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-eagleman/because-self-control-requires-energy-which-means-we-have-less-energy/)

[David Eagleman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-eagleman/)

> [What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is they don't want to discourage it completely.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-p-jones/what-makes-resisting-temptation-difficult-for-many-people-is-they-don/)

[Franklin P. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-p-jones/)

> [For most of us, the classic test of willpower is resisting temptation, whether the temptress is a doughnut, a cigarette, a clearance sale, or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelly-mcgonigal/for-most-of-us-the-classic-test-of-willpower-is-resisting-temptation/)

[Kelly McGonigal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelly-mcgonigal/)

> [“Because low-calorie dieting leads to the production of stress hormones, being on a diet can directly impair the willpower that is needed to succeed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sandra-aamodt/because-low-calorie-dieting-leads-to-the-production-of-stress/)

[Sandra Aamodt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sandra-aamodt/)

> [“A live spent resisting temptations is a wasted life….”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/a-live-spent-resisting-temptations-is-a-wasted-life/)

[Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/)

> [Can anything be more absurd than keeping women in a state of ignorance, and yet so vehemently to insist on their resisting temptation?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vicesimus-knox/can-anything-be-more-absurd-than-keeping-women-in-a-state-of/)

[Vicesimus Knox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vicesimus-knox/)

> [Compromise built upon compromise equals failure. Instead, resisting temptation allowed promise upon promise to be built up in my heart, and that creates empowerment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lysa-terkeurst/compromise-built-upon-compromise-equals-failure-instead-resisting/)

[Lysa TerKeurst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lysa-terkeurst/)

> [And so, resisting the temptation to wallow in artistic remorse, I prefer to leave both well and ill alone and to think about something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/and-so-resisting-the-temptation-to-wallow-in-artistic-remorse-i/)

[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [“Sin isn’t something that is attracted to a human being, Professor. It’s the other way round.” “Not in my experience. Sin seems to find…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvain-reynard/sin-isn-t-something-that-is-attracted-to-a-human-being-professor-it-s/)

[Sylvain Reynard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvain-reynard/)

> [“If you could see into my past just by touching my back, you’d have a hard time resisting the temptation too.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/becca-fitzpatrick/if-you-could-see-into-my-past-just-by-touching-my-back-you-d-have-a/)

[Becca Fitzpatrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/becca-fitzpatrick/)

> [There is no allurement or enticement, actual or imaginary, which a well-disciplined mind may not surmount. The wish to resist more than half accomplishes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-dacre/there-is-no-allurement-or-enticement-actual-or-imaginary-which-a-well/)

[Charlotte Dacre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-dacre/)

> [The only trouble with resisting temptation is that you may not get another chance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-trouble-with-resisting-temptation-is-that-you-may-not-get/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

## More by Daniel Kahneman

> [Economists think about what people ought to do. Psychologists watch what they actually do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/economists-think-about-what-people-ought-to-do-psychologists-watch/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“Belief in the Law of Small Numbers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/belief-in-the-law-of-small-numbers/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“People who are poor think like traders, but the dynamics are quite different. Unlike traders, the poor are not indifferent to the differences between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-who-are-poor-think-like-traders-but-the-dynamics-are-quite/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“Mood evidently affects the operation of System 1: when we are uncomfortable and unhappy, we lose touch with our intuition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/mood-evidently-affects-the-operation-of-system-1-when-we-are/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [The confidence that individuals have in their beliefs depends mostly on the quality of the story they can tell about what they see, even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-confidence-that-individuals-have-in-their-beliefs-depends-mostly/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“So this is my aim for watercooler conversations: improve the ability to identify and understand errors of judgment and choice, in others and eventually…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/so-this-is-my-aim-for-watercooler-conversations-improve-the-ability/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“For example, I recently came to doubt my long-held impression that adultery is more common among politicians than among physicians or lawyers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/for-example-i-recently-came-to-doubt-my-long-held-impression-that/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [Survival prospects are poor for an animal that is not suspicious of novelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/survival-prospects-are-poor-for-an-animal-that-is-not-suspicious-of/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“the idea of money primes individualism: a reluctance to be involved with others, to depend on others, or to accept demands from others.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-idea-of-money-primes-individualism-a-reluctance-to-be-involved/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [Most of the moments of our life - and I calculated, you know, the psychological present is said to be about three seconds long;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/most-of-the-moments-of-our-life-and-i-calculated-you-know-the/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“knowing little makes it easier to fit everything you know into a coherent pattern.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/knowing-little-makes-it-easier-to-fit-everything-you-know-into-a/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [Experts don't know exactly where the boundaries of their expertise are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/experts-don-t-know-exactly-where-the-boundaries-of-their-expertise-are/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [All of us would be better investors if we just made fewer decisions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/all-of-us-would-be-better-investors-if-we-just-made-fewer-decisions/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“The best we can do is a compromise: learn to recognize situations in which mistakes are likely and try harder to avoid significant mistakes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/the-best-we-can-do-is-a-compromise-learn-to-recognize-situations-in/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

> [“A happy mood loosens the control of System 2 over performance: when in a good mood, people become more intuitive and more creative but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/a-happy-mood-loosens-the-control-of-system-2-over-performance-when-in/)

[Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

[Explore all 560 Daniel Kahneman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/)

## More Food quotes

> [On Sundays, that's my pig out day and I do the pizza and the beer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/victoria-silvstedt/on-sundays-that-s-my-pig-out-day-and-i-do-the-pizza-and-the-beer/)

[Victoria Silvstedt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/victoria-silvstedt/)

> [Before Noah, men having only water to drink, could not find the truth. Accordingly...they became abominably wicked, and they were justly exterminated by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin/before-noah-men-having-only-water-to-drink-could-not-find-the-truth/)

[Benjamin Franklin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin/)

> [By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-h-murdock/by-eating-many-fruits-and-vegetables-in-place-of-fast-food-and-junk/)

[David H. Murdock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-h-murdock/)

> [“The global population of Earth are involved in the following corporate government experiments: The long term effects of - 1. Nuclear bomb fallout radiation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/the-global-population-of-earth-are-involved-in-the-following/)

[Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/)

> [“My God, Joseph, your toasted sandwiches are the fucking shit. You do know that right?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ashworth/my-god-joseph-your-toasted-sandwiches-are-the-fucking-shit-you-do/)

[Beth Ashworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ashworth/)

> [I feel like I could eat the world raw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madeline-miller/i-feel-like-i-could-eat-the-world-raw/)

[Madeline Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madeline-miller/)

> [To me, Caribbean food is about fresh, seasonal produce - using what's in season to create vibrant and great tasting food. The spicing is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ainsley-harriott/to-me-caribbean-food-is-about-fresh-seasonal-produce-using-what-s-in/)

[Ainsley Harriott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ainsley-harriott/)

> [ “\[S\]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once,… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-ephron/s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-the-possible-irrelevance-of/)

[Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-ephron/)

> [“if you cannot control your hunger and appetite, good luck managing your blood chemistry, metabolism, waistline, and, in the bigger picture, the prospect of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-perlmutter/if-you-cannot-control-your-hunger-and-appetite-good-luck-managing/)

[David Perlmutter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-perlmutter/)

> [“Hungarian Proverb: A dish of cabbages can be heated when it grows cold, but it will never taste the same.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mourid-barghouti/hungarian-proverb-a-dish-of-cabbages-can-be-heated-when-it-grows-cold/)

[Mourid Barghouti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mourid-barghouti/)

> [“The phrase “low and slow” was coined to describe the relatively low temperatures used for smoking and the lengthy amount of time it takes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ted-reader/the-phrase-low-and-slow-was-coined-to-describe-the-relatively-low/)

[Ted Reader](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ted-reader/)

> [Things live and die, and then someone processes them into edible portions. This is a complete telling of the story, 'Food.' The basic plot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-fahrenthold/things-live-and-die-and-then-someone-processes-them-into-edible/)

[David Fahrenthold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-fahrenthold/)

> [“Live is like a box of chocolates, we are all just waiting for a hungry hand to come down and grab us and eat…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sunshine/live-is-like-a-box-of-chocolates-we-are-all-just-waiting-for-a-hungry/)

[sunshine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sunshine/)

> [Sometimes, when full and in fear that I will continue to eat unwanted food just because it's staring at me, I will place my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-nichols/sometimes-when-full-and-in-fear-that-i-will-continue-to-eat-unwanted/)

[Rachel Nichols](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-nichols/)

> [“Pumpkin Flavor Latte Scrub   Ingredients 1 ½ cups of brown sugar 2 tablespoons of ground coffee 1-2 tablespoons of pumpkin spice ¾ -1…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-hilton/pumpkin-flavor-latte-scrub-ingredients-1-cups-of-brown-sugar-2/)

[Kate Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-hilton/)

[Browse all 34,183 Food quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "“people are first depleted by a task in which they eat virtuous foods such as radishes and celery while resisting the temptation to indulge in chocolate and rich cookies. Later, these people will give up earlier than normal when faced with a difficult cognitive task.”",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Daniel Kahneman"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-which-they-eat-virtuous-foods/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Food"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-which-they-eat-virtuous-foods/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/daniel-kahneman-431_food_people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-w_352957.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/daniel-kahneman-431_food_people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-w_352957.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf4/daniel-kahneman-431_food_people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-w_352957.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“people are first depleted by a task in which they eat virtuous foods such as radishes and celery while…” — Daniel Kahneman",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Daniel Kahneman",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "“people are first depleted by a...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-which-they-eat-virtuous-foods/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/people-are-first-depleted-by-a-task-in-which-they-eat-virtuous-foods/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```