The Habit Loop: A Personal Investigation and Discussion of Habit - Essay Example

Section/# The Habit Loop: A Personal Investigation and Discussion of Habit Whether one realizes it or not, a high percentage of actions that are conducted by an individual throughout the course of their life are in fact habits. Whereas it is true that individuals often times engage in activities and experiences that they might not have otherwise had, it is also true that humans are, for the most part, creatures of habit. Naturally, in order to understand such a dynamic, it is necessary to understand psychological and sociological ramifications of how habit in fact encourages a degree of comfort and safety within the mind of the individual. Although it is not the goal of this brief analysis to discuss the means through which safety and comfort are innate within habit itself, this fact can obviously be denoted in a number of different ways. For purposes of this brief analysis, the author will discuss what is known as “the habit loop”; a theoretical interpretation of human habit and the underlying reason that prompts individuals to behave in a repetitive manner with regards to the choices, actions, and/or decisions they make. In order to understand this in something of a microcosm, the author will be presenting the reader with a brief examination of a habit that is engaged and whether or not this habit applies, follows, and typifies the “habit loop” that is previously been referenced. As such, it is the hope of this author that the reader will come away with a more profound understanding and appreciation of the way in which the habit loop impact describes and finds the way in which actions are repeated. With regards to the habit that will be analyzed, this author will consider the individual ordering process that is exhibited with regards to the fast food chain – Taco Bell. As such, just as is defined by the habit loop, craving exists on a subliminal level; awaiting a cue which in turn triggers every chain that naturally leads to a reward. In order to understand the process with relation to the fast food restaurant that has recently been referenced, it must be understood that a craving for this particular type of food, and specifically a particular type of meal that I habitually order is naturally evidenced within my own subconscious. This craving is of course awaiting a cue; at which time a direct level of connection between the initial craving and reward is bridged by a routine that the mind has come to accept. Although this may seem a relatively intricate and complex process, the fact of the matter is that this is engaged in each and every single habitual choice that any individual makes. A craving is initially exhibited within the mind; waiting for a cue. Once the queue is triggered, the reward is understood by the mind and can only be reached through the application of an applicable routine. In this way, with regards to the habit in question, the proclivity to order the same meal, regardless of the multitude of different offerings, represents a craving that is connected to a reward that is understood as only being satisfied by a particular menu choice. Psychologists have argued that the Golden rule of habit change states that the most effective way of seeking to change a given habit is to somehow keep the initial cue and reward that is able to be enjoyed whereas only modifying the routine itself. Naturally, this can be understood with regards to the way in which smoking cessation, Alcoholics Anonymous, and a number of other addictive substance counseling services seek to integrate with the patient. However, on even a more benign level, the golden rule habit change can also be applied the situation question. Instead of merely arriving at the understanding that the reward can only be derived through the set routine, the queue must be reconnected with an understanding of the fact that reward can also be derived from the alternate set of circumstances and/or an alternate set of choices. As such, seeking to change the routine in question would necessarily be contingent upon broadening the way in which menu choices and selection are engaged. However, even though this is a clear and apparent way through which the routine to be altered, it must be understood habit itself is integrally tied to the way in which the prior process is brought about. Any of a number of external factors, up to and including the unavailability of a particular menu item in question, could easily redirect and reformulate the routine to include another menu selection. However, with that being said, it must also be understood that even if the routine itself is altered, and few and the reward remain the same, the only aspect that will be changed is the routine itself; not the fact that habit necessarily defines the interaction with the given scenario. Finally, the role of the leaf with regards to habit change is ultimately the blockage as well as the helpful aid that can seek to alter the routine. What is meant by this is the fact that belief with regards to the given habit in question is what ultimately encourages a given routine to lead to the ultimate reward. The belief in and of itself is the fact that the routine is the only way through which reward can be obtained. However, if an individual seeks to alter this habit, a tacit and innate belief in the fact that a reward can also be gained, possibly of an even greater value, with regards to an alternate routine, the entire process itself is redefined. In short, what is been presented is a single scenario with regards to a rather trite example. Nevertheless, it can be definitively said that the “habit loop” is manifested at each and every turn and expertly helps to define the way in which decisions are made and human rationality and judgment connects with impulse and motivation. Work Consulted Duhigg, Charles. The power of habit : why we do what we do in life and business. New York: Random House, 2012. Print. Read More