Chap # 07

The Secret to Self-Control

Research showed that when soldiers, who had been heroin users, returned home only 5% became
re-addicted within one year and just 12% relapsed within three years. In other words,
approximately 9 out of 10 soldiers, who used heroin in Vietnam, eliminated their addiction
nearly over night. This contradicted the prevailing view at the time, which considered heroin
addiction to be a permanent and irreversible condition. Instead, the research revealed that
addiction could spontaneously dissolve if there was a radical change in the environment.

In Vietnam, soldiers spent all day in environments triggering heroin use. It was easy to access,
they were engulfed by the distress of war, they built friendships with fellow soldiers who were
also heroin users, and they were far away from home. Once the soldiers returned to the United
States, they found themselves void of those triggers. When the context changed, so did the habit.

However, recent research shows something different. When scientists analyze people who appear
to have tremendous self-control, it turns out those individuals aren’t all that different from those
who are struggling. Instead, disciplined people are better at structuring their lives in a way that
does not require heroic willpower and self-control. In other words, they simply spend less time in
tempting situations. One of the most practical ways to eliminate a bad habit is to reduce exposure
to the cue that causes it.This practice is an inversion of the first law of behavior change. Rather
than make it obvious, make it invisible. This simple change can be very effective. Remove a
single cue and the entire habit often fades away.

Self-control is a short-term strategy. You may be able to resist temptation once or twice but it’s
unlikely you can muster the willpower to override your desires every time. Instead of
summoning willpower every time to avoid a bad habit,
 Chap # 08

How to Make a Habit Irresistible

Society is structured to make life more attractive. The human brain goes wild when it
experiences exaggerated stimuli which promote excessive consumption. Other animals show
similar behavior. In the 1940s, Nikko Tinbergen performed a series of experiments on herring
gulls. Adult herring gulls have red dots on their beaks that chicks peck at when they wanted
food. Tinbergen created fake cardboard beaks which the baby gulls pecked at. The larger the
dot, the more the chicks pecked at it. This heightened response to exaggerated cues is called
supernormal stimuli, and it creates a stronger response in the brain. The human love of junk
food, for example, reflects the high reward that human brains places on salt, sugar, and fat.
These are calorie-dense foods, which would be useful for hunter-gatherer societies who had
uneven food supplies. Today, it is easy to gain access to food, but your brain still rewards the
stimuli like it is scarce. Companies exploit this to make products more attractive to consumers
by optimizing products or adding dynamic contrast through a variety of sensations, like
crunchy and creamy. This encourages people to eat more.

 The 2nd Law of Behavior Change is make it attractive.”

 “The more attractive an opportunity is, the more likely it is to become habit-forming.”
 “Habits are a dopamine-driven feedback loop. When dopamine rises, so does our motivation to
act.”
 “It is the anticipation of a reward—not the fulfillment of it—that gets us to take action. The
greater the anticipation, the greater the dopamine spike.”
 “Temptation bundling is one way to make your habits more attractive. The strategy is to pair an
action you want to do with an action you need to do.”
 Chap # 09

The Role of Family and Friends in Shaping Your

Habits

The culture we live in determines which behaviors are attractive to us. We tend to adopt habits
that are praised and approved of by our culture because we have a strong desire to fit in and
belong to the tribe. We tend to imitate the habits of three social groups: the close (family and
friends), the many (the tribe), and the powerful (those with status and prestige).One of the most
effective things you can do to build better habits is to join a culture where your desired behavior
is the normal behavior and you already have something in common with the group. The normal
behavior of the tribe often overpowers the desired behavior of the individual. Most days, we’d
rather be wrong with the crowd than be right by ourselves. If a behavior can get us approval,
respect, and praise, we find it attractive.

 Imitating the Close: we pick up habits from the people around us. To build better habits,
join a culture where your desired behavior is normal behavior. If you are surrounded by
fit people, you’re more likely to consider working out to be a common habit
 Imitating the Many: whenever we are unsure how to act, we look to the group to guide
our behavior.  Most days, we’d rather be wrong with the crowd than be right by ourselves
 Imitation the Powerful: we are drawn to behaviors that earn us respect, approval,
admiration, and status. If a behavior can get us approval, respect, and praise, we find it
attractive. We are also motivated to avoid behaviors that would lower our status
 Chap # 10

How to Find and Fix the Causes of Your Bad

Habits

Every behavior has a surface level craving and a deeper underlying motive. We do not desire to
smoke cigarettes or check Instagram. At a deep level, we simply want to reduce uncertainty and
relieve anxiety, win social acceptance and approval, or achieve status. Our habits are modern-day
solutions to ancient desires. Some reduce stress by smoking a cigarette while others go for a run.
Once you associate a solution with the problem you need to solve, you keep coming back to
it. For example:

 Cue: You notice that the stove is hot. Prediction: “If I touch it I’ll get burned, so I should
avoid touching it.”
 Cue: You see that the traffic light turned green. Prediction: “If I step on the gas, I’ll make
it safely through the intersection, so I should step on the gas.”

Life feels reactive, but it is actually predictive. The cause of your habits is actually the prediction
that precedes them. The prediction leads to a feeling, which is how we normally describe a
craving a feeling, a desire, an urge. Habits are attractive when we associate them with positive
feelings and unattractive when we associate them with negative feelings. To reprogram your
brain to enjoy hard habits, make them more attractive by learning to associate them with a
positive experience. Highlight the benefits of avoiding a bad habit to make it seem unattractive.
For example:

 Exercise. Exercise can be associated with a challenging task that drains energy and wears
you down. You can view it as a way to develop skills and strength. Instead of “I need to
go run in the morning,” say “It’s time to build endurance and get fast”
 Finance. Saving money is often associated with sacrifice. You can associate it with
freedom as living below your current means increases your future means.
 Create a motivation ritual by doing something you enjoy immediately before a difficult
habit.