up:: [[Habits MOC]]
tags:: #on/habit 
dates:: 2020-05-29 (created)

# 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 required[^1], 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 [[Positive Feedback Loop]]s 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]].

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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.*

![[2010 Willpower - Robinson et al#^309fcc]]

[^1]: When it comes to willpower expenditure, the anterior cingulate cortex, is a crucial player.
[^2]: Quote by Hebb's Rule