Everyday Systems

I saw this article and found it interesting (Warning, it's Cracked.com, huge time sink):

http://www.cracked.com/article_20028_5- ... abits.html

The study they quote seems to show it takes 10 weeks to build a habit.

Interesting quotes:

it's because your brain likes efficiency, and mindless habits are efficient. See, what your brain really wants is to shift into autopilot, to turn your life into repetitive patterns and create heuristics -- mental shortcuts that help you get through the day using the least amount of brain power necessary.

Even though no physical effort was involved, simply being forced to resist cookies actually depleted the volunteers' will to solve a puzzle, because apparently we never really stop being toddlers.

I liked the part about "Future You" being considered another person. I do that to myself all the time. "Hmmm, if I do this now, Morning Me won't have to rush around trying to get it done on time. But I don't feel like doing it now, so screw her."

I think it really depends on the habit, how much it matches the vision we have of ourselves, how much trouble it is, etc. One researcher reported on a man who was a real union guy, and also a smoker for decades. He had tried to stop many times, but couldn't. One day a co-worker made fun of him for smoking because it was selling out to big business. The guy stopped and thought and said, "You're right." He never smoked again. He couldn't stand the thought that he was someone giving in to "the man."

BTW, though willpower has its limits, it has been shown that it can be extended, even in situations in which people were ready to give up. But who wants to live like that?

And yet, our resistance can be thwarted, in the right circumstances. Habitcal!

"while your conscious self is busy hating you for not fixing your bad habits, your subconscious self is secretly doing everything it can to sabotage any efforts to correct them, because self-indulgence -- not self-improvement -- is what it actually wants."

Conscious self is an overweight adult serious about losing weight, subconscious self is a determined two-year old serious about getting what she wants! Wow!

I'll be fifty in six months. I bet my wife would tell you I can still be a toddler.

SpiritSong wrote:I liked the part about "Future You" being considered another person. I do that to myself all the time. "Hmmm, if I do this now, Morning Me won't have to rush around trying to get it done on time. But I don't feel like doing it now, so screw her."

Hah! This is totally me. Apparently I only love Present Me. Past Me is a jerk (you should have done that yesterday!) and Future Me doesn't exist yet

Rea, you must be Buddha, living in the present as you are...

"Cocaine Pie"--that's funny!

Another interesting post in here--finding tidbits to help all over the place!!!

That article does have some salient points for sure!

Hippy Dippy