Akrasia
Akrasia is weakness of will: doing what you yourself judge to be the worse option, at the moment you judge it. The unopened file, the second drink, the thing you meant to start on Monday.
Full definition of Akrasia →:: COMPARE ::
AkrasiavsProcrastination
The short answer
Procrastination is a delay; akrasia is a contradiction. Standard definitions of procrastination already build the irrationality in — delaying while expecting to be worse off for it — but akrasia demands more: the verdict has to be live, present, and contradicted at the moment you act. Whether procrastination is therefore a species of akrasia is genuinely argued over.
Side by side
| Aspect | Akrasia | Procrastination |
|---|---|---|
| Failure of | Reason | Self-regulation |
| Verdict is | Live and contradicted | Present but not live |
| Timing | At the moment | Over time |
| Puzzling | Yes | Irrational, but explained |
What each one means
Procrastination
The contrast above sets out how Procrastination differs from Akrasia on the points that actually matter.