Akrasias

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An inability to act according to one's better judgment, often resulting in a lack of self-control or procrastination
2. The state of knowing what is best to do but failing to do it due to weakness of will or temptation
3. A condition in which a person recognizes the right course of action yet chooses to ignore it, highlighting a conflict between reason and desire

Etymology: The plural here is simply the Greek-derived "akrasia" in its plural form, so the real story is the word itself. In ancient Greek, "akrasia" was a variant of "akrateia," meaning lack of power, debility, or lack of self-control, and it could shade into self-indulgence. Its root is the adjective "akratēs," built from the prefix "a-," meaning "not" or "without," and "kratos," meaning might, strength, or dominion. So the word literally describes a person who lacks control over himself. Greek writers used the idea mainly in moral and ethical discussions, where it named the familiar experience of acting against one's own better judgment. English took the term directly from Greek, as a learned borrowing, and it became a philosophical word for the failure of will that the entry describes. The plural "akrasias" is what you would use when discussing several such cases or several instances of the phenomenon.

Synonyms: weakness, incontinence, impulsiveness, lack of self-control

Antonyms: self-control, willpower, discipline, temperance, restraint