Charles Duhigg: The Power of Habit - Essay Example

? Charles Duhigg: The Power of Habit Introduction The human mind and how it functions has been a of curiosity among scientists for a long period of time since the discovery of more advanced anatomy knowledge. It is unanimously agreed by the different fields involved in this subject that the brain is behind a large majority of the actions that take place in an individual and thus getting to know the brain a little bit better results in getting to know the deeper functions of the body a little bit better as well (Moschella, 2008). One of the features within individuals that have been attributed to the brain has been the development and functions of habits. The book by Charles Duhigg attempts to provide its readers with an insight on the effect that an individual’s habits may have on their lives and the scientific proof that the brain is involved in the formation of these habits and as a result plays a large process in determining an individual’s success in life. Habits can be described as developed repetitive behavior ingrained within an individual as a result of continuously performing the same action over a long period of time. However, there are also habits that can be referred to as intangible (as one is not able to see them with the naked eye) and these can be said to be the subject of main case study when looking at these behaviors from a scientific as well as theological point of view. These can include habits such as giving up on a project when things get too hard or even social issues such as avoiding confrontation at all costs. Charles Duhigg’s literary work attempts to decipher the relationship between these habits and the type of life/lifestyle an individual is able to enjoy as a result (Moschella, 2008). By studying his ideas one is able to determine whether an individual’s hobbies do indeed play a large role in the outcome of their lives. Reflection – The Power of Habit In Charles Duhigg’s book, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business the author looks at the various ways that habits of a person affect their lives on what can be determined as a physical scale. The book looks at the various ways that a person’s habits can come in the way of their success or vice versa (Duhigg, 2012). The main talking point of this literary work can be said to be the fact that scientific information is utilized in the author’s arguments and theory is not the only supportive structure of the explanation offered (Duhigg, 2012). The book attempts to divulge the secrets behind the science of what can be called the creation of habits (that is, the development of particular habits by an individual) as well as the reformation of pre-existing habits that an individual may want to change willingly or do so as a result of their change in environment. The habits are related to patterns in the brain that can be identified as the physical neurological results of the effect that a particular habit can have on a person. A good context of this is the example of the woman who changes a large portion of her life with regard to lifestyle choices and living (Duhigg, 2012). This is a process that has been taking place over the past two years and the neurologists examining her discover that as a result of the various changes that have been taking place (which included quitting smoking, marathon participation and improved living through gaining a promotion) her brain patterns have also significantly changed as a result. The relation between these incidences and her brain patterns exhibits that the human brain can be affected by the types of habits an individual has. Thus with this being said, it is safe to state if the argument made by Charles Duhigg is accurate then one can change their lives through changing their habits as one can be said to be related to the other. It would also be possible under this argument to develop a means of doing so through the help of various scientific studies that has been done on brain patterns in relation to this subject. Thus one can say the change in an individual’s habits can be the key to their success (Duhigg, 2012). Critical Analysis Though the author does present a compelling argument on the case of habits and their overall effect on an individual’s life, it can be said that there are a number of counterarguments that can be presented by the skeptics. The relation to habits an individual’s life is obviously not a relationship that can be denied but the issue of whether these habits have a relation to the change in brain patterns and whether successful reformation of these habits can almost guarantee a person’s success is debatable (Moschella, 2008). Granted there are habits that are clearly not for the good of an individual and thus ceasing such habits would be an improvement on the quality of life that a person is able to enjoy such as smoking, the question remains whether this argument provides a tangible solution to the fixing of the majority of problems that are faced by the individual. It can be said that some individuals have had success with the reformation of habits and refocusing their commitment on certain patterns that can be said to have an effect on a large number of aspects in their lives, it is not the solution for all problems as people are different from one another. Thus it can be argued that not every individual may be able to focus on an issue that may be deemed to be the main pattern in their life and as a result the approach may not be a workable one for every individual who is involved (Bransom, 2004). There are also a number of issues that are not exactly/completely been accounted for in such a scenario such as a person’s conscious which though is intangible, plays a big part in the behavior of an individual and thus should be taken into consideration. The scientific study of brain patterns will not be able to change the different sit5autions that an individual faces and thus it cannot be said that everyone is in the proverbial “same boat” and thus can be fixed by one solution (Savage & Presnell, 2008). Individuals come from different backgrounds and depending on the environment they are exposed they would be able to make these changes easier or harder as compared to others. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be said that Charles Duhigg’s book is one that should be worked on with assistance from the particular scenarios an individual may happen to be experiencing as a result. However, it should be noted that the book does present itself with a compelling argument that makes a case for individuals to try their hand at reforming the habits they may have developed over the years in a bid to better improve their lives. If the scientific discoveries are incorporated with the various practical measures that are put in place then an individual may have a better chance of attaining success and actually improving their lives in the end (Goleman, 2010). Charles Duhigg provides his readers with an interesting case and a new method of approaching one’s lifestyle choices as well as approaches on how to better improve the situation that they are in using an effective technique. References Bransom, Mark Lau. Memories, Hopes, and Conversations: Appreciative Inquiry and Congregational Change. Alban Institute, 2004. Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do and How to Change. New York: Random House, 2012. Goleman, Larry, ed. Finding Our Story: Narrative Leadership and Congregational Change. Alban Institute, 2010. Moschella, Mary Clark. Ethnography as a Pastoral Practice: An Introduction. Cleveland: Pilgrim Press, 2008. Savage, Carl and William Presnell. Narrative Research in Ministry: A Postmodern Research Approach for Faith Communities. Louisville: Wayne E. Oates Institute, 2008. Read More