up:: Habits MOC tags::#habit
Habit formation provides an evolutionary advantage
Whenever we take an action, neurons fire and strengthen their connections. Then, when we repeat that same action, it miraculously requires less effort. How can this be?!
It’s because Nature’s Selfish Gene has a prime directive to survive—which means to become more efficient—so whatever you do once, is easier to do a second time.
By making a repeated action more efficient, less energy is used, less willpower is required1, and fewer calories are burned—all of which lead to a better chance of survival.
Bad habits and good habits are nothing more than a bunch of self-perpetuating Feedback Loops that have grown efficient over time, with deeply enmeshed neural connections. In this way, “Passing mental states become lasting neural traits”.2
To quit a bad habit, don’t try to stop it like Superman; you’ll fail. Habits carry a ton of hidden inertia in the form of built-up neural efficiencies in the brain (see Cobwebs into Cables). Instead, try to co-opt it by shifting the tracks. See Changing a habit is really about replacing a routine.
While “habit formation provides an evolutionary advantage”, it doesn’t necessarily form in the ways you might think—meaning, your “self” optimizes for what you repeat, regardless of whether or not it’s “good” for you.
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- Back Matter
- dates:: 2020-05-29
- created:: 2020-05-29