I think the main reason for success (as in popularity) of Alcoholic Anonymous is how awesome it is from screenwriting perspective.

> > We also know that we all have a limited supply of willpower.

> Actually it looks like that isn't the case after all.

Huh? You mean you've read an article, or there are several independent studies showing what you say?

I really doubt that this would be untrue because I can apply it to my life and it makes things better.

There have been several studies that have failed to support that now 20-year-old hypothesis: https://digest.bps.org.uk/2015/06/24/new-research-challenges... https://hbr.org/2016/11/have-we-been-thinking-about-willpowe...

Look at the criticism section of the Wikipedia page of ego depletion (the term for finite quantity of willpower): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ego_depletion#Reproducibility_...

Like most things the true is probably somewhere in between and the effect is probably there, just not as strong as the original publication implied. Sprinkle a bit of placebo effect on top of that and that could lead to people (e.g. you) using the concept of ego depletion with a lot of success.

> Huh? You mean you've read an article, or there are several independent studies showing what you say?

He is pointing to the fact that the studies that originated the "willpower pool" hypothesis have been increasingly discredited.