Commitment Device
Etymology
The idea was developed by economist Thomas Schelling in “The Strategy of Conflict” (1960), who analyzed the power of binding your own hands; the classic illustration is Odysseus ordering himself tied to the mast to resist the Sirens. The term became standard in behavioral economics.
noun phrase · /kuh-MIT-munt dih-VYS/
A voluntary arrangement you set up in advance to lock in future good behavior by making the alternative costly or impossible.
What it names
A practical tool for outsmarting your future self — the app that donates your money if you skip the gym, the vacation deposit you cannot refund, the friend you authorize to hide your phone.
Example
She uses a commitment device that publicly posts her progress, so quitting would mean admitting it to everyone.
Related idea
It is the engineered answer to hyperbolic discounting, our tendency to overvalue immediate rewards; the device removes the tempting option before your short-term self can grab it.