July 7
Affirmation: Instead of telling people what they want, we need to tell them who they are. This works every time.
The Certain Decision. I have a decided heart.
Time Inconsistencies
(Excerpt from James Clear)
Behavioral economists referred to this tendency as time inconsistency. That is, the way your brain evaluates rewards is inconsistent across time. You value the present more than the future. Usually, this tendency serves us well. A reward that is a certain right now is typically worth more than one that is merely possible in the future but occasionally, we are biased toward instant gratification causes problems.
Why would someone smoke if they know it increases the risk of lung cancer? Why would someone over eat when they know it increases the risk of obesity? Why would someone have unsafe sex if they know it can result in certain sexually transmitted disease? Once you understand how the brain prioritizes rewards, the answers become clear; the consequences of bad habits are delayed while the rewards are immediate. Smoking might kill you in 10 years, but it reduces stress and eases your nicotine cravings now. Over eating is harmful in the long run but appetizing in the moment. Sex…safe or not, provides pleasure right away. Disease and infection won’t show up for days or weeks, even years.
Every habit produces multiple outcomes across time. Unfortunately these outcomes are often misaligned with our bad habits. The immediate outcome usually feels good, but the ultimate outcome feels bad. With good habits, it is the reverse; the immediate outcome is unenjoyable, but the ultimate outcome feels good. The French economist Frederick, best explained the problem clearly when he wrote, “it almost always happens that when the immediate consequence is favorable, the later consequences are disastrous, and vice versa… Often the sweeter the first fruit of a habit, the more bitter the later fruits.”
Put another way the cost of your good habits are in the present. The cost of your bad habits are in the future. The brain’s tendency to prioritize the present moment means you can’t rely on good intentions. When you make a plan, to lose weight, write a book, or learn a language, you’re actually making plans for your future self. And when you envision what you would want your life to be like, it is easy to see the value of taking actions with long-term benefits. We all want better lives for our future selves. However when the moment of decision arrives, instant gratification usually wins. You are no longer making a choice for future you, you who dreams of being fitter and healthier and happier. You are choosing for a present you who wants to be full, pampered, and entertained. As a general rule, the more immediate pleasure you get from an action, the more strongly you should question whether it aligns with your long-term goals.
With a fuller understanding of what causes our brain to repeat some behaviors and avoid others, let’s update the cardinal rule of behavior change; “What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided”
Why would someone smoke if they know it increases the risk of lung cancer? Why would someone over eat when they know it increases the risk of obesity? Why would someone have unsafe sex if they know it can result in certain sexually transmitted disease? Once you understand how the brain prioritizes rewards, the answers become clear; the consequences of bad habits are delayed while the rewards are immediate. Smoking might kill you in 10 years, but it reduces stress and eases your nicotine cravings now. Over eating is harmful in the long run but appetizing in the moment. Sex…safe or not, provides pleasure right away. Disease and infection won’t show up for days or weeks, even years.
Every habit produces multiple outcomes across time. Unfortunately these outcomes are often misaligned with our bad habits. The immediate outcome usually feels good, but the ultimate outcome feels bad. With good habits, it is the reverse; the immediate outcome is unenjoyable, but the ultimate outcome feels good. The French economist Frederick, best explained the problem clearly when he wrote, “it almost always happens that when the immediate consequence is favorable, the later consequences are disastrous, and vice versa… Often the sweeter the first fruit of a habit, the more bitter the later fruits.”
Put another way the cost of your good habits are in the present. The cost of your bad habits are in the future. The brain’s tendency to prioritize the present moment means you can’t rely on good intentions. When you make a plan, to lose weight, write a book, or learn a language, you’re actually making plans for your future self. And when you envision what you would want your life to be like, it is easy to see the value of taking actions with long-term benefits. We all want better lives for our future selves. However when the moment of decision arrives, instant gratification usually wins. You are no longer making a choice for future you, you who dreams of being fitter and healthier and happier. You are choosing for a present you who wants to be full, pampered, and entertained. As a general rule, the more immediate pleasure you get from an action, the more strongly you should question whether it aligns with your long-term goals.
With a fuller understanding of what causes our brain to repeat some behaviors and avoid others, let’s update the cardinal rule of behavior change; “What is immediately rewarded is repeated. What is immediately punished is avoided”
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