The Power of Habit Book Report

 The Power of Habit

Charles Duhigg

    For my report, I chose to read The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg. This book explores the science behind why habits exist and how they can be changed. Duhigg delves into the neurological and psychological habits that drive our routines, illustrating his points with engaging stories and case studies. The book is divided into three parts: the habits of individuals, organizations, and societies. Duhigg explains the habit loop, consisting of a cue, routine, and reward, and demonstrates how understanding and manipulating this loop can lead to significant personal and professional transformations.

    My favorite part of the book is the section that discusses the habit loop in individuals, specifically the chapter on how companies like Febreze and Pepsodent used the loop to create powerful consumer habits. This section stands out because it not only highlights the science behind habit formation but also shows its practical application in marketing and business strategies. It ties in closely with what we've covered in our lectures on impulsivity and self-control. 

    Duhigg's exploration of habits can be directly related to the Piers Steel procrastination equation discussed in class. Both concepts examine the factors that drive our behaviors, habits and procrastination. The habit loop (cue, routine, reward) can be seen as influencing our motivation and expectation of success, which are key components of Steel's equation. By understanding and altering our habit loops, we can potentially reduce procrastination by creating more productive routines that align with our goals.

To engage with the concepts in The Power of Habit, I found a YouTube video that explains the habit loop.

Watch this video on The Power of Habit

Extending the concepts from the book to real-world problems, I consider the issue of climate change. By understanding how habits are formed and changed, we can develop strategies to encourage more sustainable behaviors, such as reducing plastic use or increasing recycling. For example, creating cues and rewards around eco-friendly actions can help form new, environmentally beneficial habits. This approach designs interventions that reshape people's habit loops toward healthier routines.

Procrastination Equation

    The Piers Steel procrastination equation offers an intriguing insight into why we delay tasks, breaking down the psychology behind procrastination into a formula. According to Steel, procrastination is influenced by factors such as our expectation of success, the value of the task, our sensitivity to delay, and the time remaining until the deadline. Essentially, if we perceive a task as difficult, uninteresting, or far off in the future, we're more likely to put it off. On the other hand, if a task is enjoyable, important, and has an imminent deadline, we're more motivated to tackle it promptly. I found it interesting to understand that procrastination isn't just about laziness; it's about how we perceive and value our tasks, giving us a clearer way to overcoming it.

Food Neophobia

    Food neophobia, the fear of trying new foods, is a fascinating and often overlooked phenomenon that can significantly impact a person's diet and nutrition. This reluctance to experiment with unfamiliar foods is believed to have roots in our evolutionary past, where avoiding unknown foods could protect against poisoning. However, in today's world, food neophobia can lead to a limited and less varied diet, potentially missing out on essential nutrients. It's interesting to know that genetics also play a role, as studies suggest that this trait can be inherited. Recognizing and addressing food neophobia is crucial, especially in children, to foster a healthier relationship with food and encourage more diverse eating habits.

Genetic Disposition of Addiction

    Addiction is a complex condition often misunderstood as a lack of willpower or moral failing. However, research has shown that genetics can play a significant role in its development. Many individuals with a family history of addiction are more predisposed to it themselves, indicating a genetic link. This genetic predisposition can affect how a person's brain responds to substances, making them more susceptible to developing an addiction. Understanding this genetic connection can help in developing more effective treatment and prevention strategies, acknowledging that addiction is not just a personal choice but a condition influenced by hereditary factors.

The biology of willpower

    Hello everyone! My name is Fidel Loverton and as I hope you are aware as of now by using this website, I am a fellow student in the Motivation class headed by Professor Berg. The book I chose to read up on for this class was "the willpower instinct" by Kelly McGonigal and while I'm not finished completely reading through it yet (book report to soon come) I already have learned so much about myself and how I can better apply myself towards the urges and temptations I have been personally battling with in order to be in my own mind a better person wholistically. What I will be focusing on just for this first post is the "biology" of our will which to put it simply is located in the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which if you aren't familiar with that is more or less the area of the brain that is responsible for higher decision making and giving yourself "reminders" not to partake in certain activities based on your greater goals overall (EX: maybe you want to lose weight and the instinctive part of your brain tells you to get something sweet while your prefrontal swoops in and helps you stay the course of your weight loss journey). Understanding the prefrontal cortex is a crucial first step to better improving your ability to resist temptations the same way understanding how a car operates is crucial to better maintain it in the long run. Each region of the prefrontal cortex is responsible for a certain aspect of staying true to your goals and aspirations and as the book states, when preforming scans of the brain you can physically see the parts of your prefrontal cortex activate when attempting to resist desires and those who falter more than others have a very descript lack of neurons in the prefrontal cortex firing seemingly causing these issues to crop up. A lack of neuronal activity doesn't immediately disqualify one from reaching their goals however as the book does explain in the proceeding chapters how to better train your brain to better handle the urges and wants to indulge in instant gratification. Sorry in advance for my first post being a little wordy, I'll try to make the next few posts and overall report a bit more interesting, but I wanted to break the ice a little here with what I am reading and what I enjoy about it right out the gate. Hope you guys are all doing well, Ill see you in the next post!

Book Report

     The Power of Habit  

Charles Duhigg 

 

        For my book report I chose the book The Power of Habit which is a book about creating and maintaining habits as well as the successor of having good habits, and the book consists of about nine different chapters. The author also uses modern science to understand the way the brain works with habits, and how you could trick the neuroreceptors to trick the mind into supporting the habit itself. One of the topics I find the most interesting is the thought process of how our life is built and consists of habits throughout our lives. When we start to do something, and it becomes a consistent thing it's considered a habit. For example, if you start working out for a week if you continue this for more than two weeks it becomes a habit. I chose this topic because I can relate to it the most. I have a habit of creating unrealistic hairs and it doesn't last. Then it turns into me just living my life with the constant thought of making habits to follow.  

                   This topic relates to the class in a way of being motivated to create and carry through with a habit, you often need the motivation or willpower to continue completing a habit. In the first slide show (impulsivity and self-control) mentions how willpower can be decided by one's willpower to keep something going. After reading the book I feel I crack the code on the mindset and tools I need to properly create a habit and keep it. Chapter 2 references an example of the good feeling people get or seek after working out or doing something they enjoy. I plan to incorporate this idea by looking for the light at the end of the tunnel for any habit I choose or want to pursue. Another topic I found the most interesting is chapter seven, knowing what you want before you go for it; it's almost like having a dream in life you know what your dream is and it's up to you to create those small habits to build up to the dream life or job you want.  

                       

The video I added above depicts my view of motivation. I grew up watching monsters inc and seeing how hard Sully worked to stay on top of his work. Mike sully created a habit of waking up early, training, etc., which led to his success. Sully showed with the right motivation and support from a friend you can be on the top of your game.  

Standard of beauty

 When I think about the standard of beauty I think of the world's perception of beauty and how society believes they should look like or be . In society it expects people to be perfect like having the perfect shape or skin complexion, not all standards are achievable which leaves individuals feeling left out or like they don’t belong. With the use of social media and phones young kids and older see the life or the body they want to have they feel they have to look or be a certain way to make themselves popular or important. In the slides of reproduction talks about the power of physical appearance and attractiveness, most people prefer to date or talk to someone based on how attractive they view them. 

Impulsiveness

Impulsiveness comes when the body fills with adrenaline and you become antsy and tense like you have to do something suddenly. In the slides surrounding Drugs for addictive behavior they use a likert scale with about 30 questions used to narrow down how impulsive someone is feeling. For example, the feeling one might get at the sight or thought of drugs. Impulsiveness lets off dopamine ( happy hormones) inside of the brain, which causes the person to get antsy and feel drawn to the cause of those feelings. 

The Power of Willpower

 Understanding willpower which was talked about in the (Impulsivity and self control slides) is the level of discipline one has to do or not do something. From personal experience I find that I often lack willpower. For example when it comes to spending money on things that we want, we often fight a mental battle of whether we should get it or not. A Lot of people actually have the power to walk away from the temptation of consumer products but not everyone contains willpower. Willpower also goes hand and hand with self control. When you gain self control comes willpower, the willpower to say no or stop with something like a habit. 

Mate Value & Good Gene Hypothesis

 The definition of mate value is when one person's traits and characteristics are perceived as desirable to someone else. Mate value is the base of mate selection and formation of romantic relationships. A couple traits that would increase your mate value would be how ambitious you are, if you have a good sense of humor, if you are faithful and loyal, have a desire for children, are responsible, kind and understanding, and if you are emotionally stable. Your total score of traits would be your mate value to another person. Also, people with higher attractive appearances are better at attracting mates. Because of this, I think this ties perfectly to the good gene hypothesis which believes that beauty signals that the person has good genes for intelligence, good immune system, healthy babies and good parenting styles. The good gene hypothesis was first thought and created by British biologist W.D Hamilton and American ecologist Marlene Zuk in the early 1980s. I also learned that women select mates to increases chances of survival of their offspring and men select mates to increase chance pf producing many offspring. For long term characteristics women prefer mates who have good financial prospects which for a lot of people is still preferable to this day. Men would prefer mates who have good psychical attractive looks which is also still the case today. 

Yerkes-Dodson Law

 The Yerkes-Dodson Law was developed by psychologists Robert M. Yerkes and John Dillingham Dodson in 1908. The law states that performance increases with physiological or mental arousal. There are two key components to the law which are the inverted-u arousal relationship and how the arousal interacts with task complexity. The inverted-u arousal is a concept that explains how performance can be influenced by arousal levels. This theory suggests that as arousal increases so does performance. It then levels off and then declines. When it comes to the task complexity, low arousal works best for difficult tasks and high arousal works best for easier tasks. Also, task performance is at its best when arousal levels are in the middle range between low arousal and high arousal. A lot of other psychologists came up with multiple other theories on why the level of performance on tasks changes with different levels of arousal. These would include the Hull-Spence theory and the Cusp Catastrophe Model Theory. Both were created by different psychologists but do explain a connection between levels of arousal and performance.

Drugs Caffeine

 Stimulant drugs are a type of drug that speeds up messages between the brain and the body and are also legal drugs. This includes caffeine. This is why caffeine makes you feel more alert and active whenever you drink it. Caffeine specifically stimulates the central nervous system. It also increases blood pressure and increases release of stomach acid. Caffeine is not only found in coffee but can be found in tea leaves, cacao pods, kola nuts, and energy drinks such as monsters and red bulls. Caffeine effects people differently depending on their size, health, the amount of caffeine you consume, and affects you differently depending on what other drugs you may take. A couple side effects of caffeine are feeling more active, relentlessness, difficult sleeping, anxiety, dehydration, urgency for urination, and increased heartrate. Caffeine can also cause long term affects such as nervousness, muscle tremor, and low blood pressure with faintness or dizziness.

Like red bulls or any energy drink, the "come-down" after the effect of caffeine can make a person feel more sluggish and very fatigued. Although legal, like any drug, drinking caffeine over time may make it difficult to stop. This is because the body and brain become used to it being in its system to function every time. This can lead to withdraw. The symptoms would include headaches, fatigue, depressed mood, irritability, and difficult to stay concentrated.

The Influential Mind Book Report

THE INFLUENTIAL MIND by Tali Sharot

 For the book report, I chose to read The Influential Mind by Tali Sharot. The author is a neuroscientist who in the book explains how our minds work and how influential it can be from day to day in our lives. One of the most interesting topics in the book was how automatically we are hard-wired to not be flexible with our thoughts. Once we make our minds up about something we are pretty much stuck to it. I personally understand because I am such a stubborn person who can be very set on certain decisions or thoughts. I have heard over and over again how I should be more open-minded and think “outside the box” but it can be hard for me. 

In the book, the author talked about a topic called “cherry picking.” Cherry picking basically means we are naturally curious about ourselves and how we want to see what others think about us. I personally don’t like worrying about what other people think about me but sometimes, I just get so curious. I remember back in middle school how worried I was about other people’s opinions. It’s just how our minds work and it can be hard to come out of it. 

In the book, she talks about self-control. In class, we talked about self-control and impulsivity. My favorite analogy she used was being on a plane. You have no control over the path or the speed of the plane and you are pretty much giving all control to the plane. I had never thought about it like this before and it was a really good analogy. It perfectly explains how self-control feels. Now when I get on a plane this is what I’m going to think about. But like she said it would help so much if the airline could give the people data on how fast we are going and everything that is going on. When it’s available, I am constantly looking at the map on the little screen in front of me to see where we are and how fast we are going. I need to know everything in order to feel in control of myself and the situation. 

Another topic I found interesting was how influential our minds can be it can affect others’ moods around us especially when there is an emotional connection. When I’m mad, my boyfriend is gonna be mad also. Our minds pretty much sync and we are able to feel the same thing and we react the same. Moods are contagious and I am also very aware of it now.

I truly did enjoy reading this book and I found it interesting how our mind is so influential can really be. 

I was able to learn more about the mind with the author's TED talk. 

The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg Book Report

 

“The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg explains why habits exist, how they coexist in our lives, and how to change habits to create more successful careers and everyday lives. Habits help steer our decision making and actions and have a strong influence on the successes as well as mistakes we make in life. Duhigg uses vivid images and terminology to demonstrate how important habits are in our day to day lives, and how it is important to identify both negative and positive ones. A lot of the time, we do things during the day without thinking, and we don’t realize that those are habits that we have formed without realizing we even formed them. Duhigg points out that acknowledging the habits that we have created will give us the power to change those habits that we are unhappy with, and create new, healthy habits.

There are many parts of the book that I enjoyed, but I think my favorite part was learning about Duhigg’s “golden rule”. His golden rule explains that bad habits are very difficult to destroy. To change them, you must replace them with a new routine. This relates back to the beginning of the book that discusses "the habit loop", which is a three-step loop that contains a cue, routine, and reward. The cue is what activates the brain and reminds it to do something. The routine can be either physical, emotional, or mental. The reward is what you receive by performing the habit.  Every single habit follows this loop, whether they are good or bad habits. The book states, “This is how new habits are created: by putting together a cue, a routine, and a reward, and then cultivating a craving that drives the loop (pg. 49, paragraph 2)." For example, if someone is obsessed with food, seeing the said food forms a taste of the cake, pizza, or whatever they will be eating before they even touch it. Just the sight of the food will send a trigger to their brain which causes the cravings to happen. In this case, the golden rule really applies because any sort of habit can lead to an addiction, which is very hard to break. But if you follow the “golden rule” that Duhigg talks about, you can combat the bad habit and replace it with a positive routine. In this situation, the cue stays the same along with the reward, but the routine that connects the cue to the reward is changed.

In class, we learned about impulsivity and self-control, and how they affect our daily lives. To tie this into the book, both traits are habits themselves. When acting on impulse, a lot of the time we do so without thinking twice. Just like any other habit, impulsivity can have a negative impact on how we trek through life. Impulsive thoughts are one thing, but when you turn them into an action, the habit is then created and is hard to break. On the other hand, self-control is also a habit, but is more of a positive one. Self-control and impulsivity are opposites, but they both are habits that we form. Just like the book states, we choose whichever habits we decide to form, and by choosing these said habits, they will begin to shape our lives, whether negative or positive.

Linked below is a video discussing Duhigg’s book. The video discusses habits, specifically a bad habit, and why it is sometimes so hard to shake. This video does a great job broadly explaining the core of the book, providing examples that are easy to relate to.

 

I believe that this book is a great book that can be useful outside of the classroom. A lot of the time, we don’t realize that we are creating a habit. This book is an asset to just about anyone because it addresses an important topic that applies to everyone’s everyday life. We all have habits, whether good or bad, that we create throughout our lives. This book is a great tool that will help you understand the “why” of habits and help

us figure out why we create the habits we do, and how to readjust our habits to live the life we want to. We cannot fully succeed in life or accomplish what we want to accomplish without understanding how habits work. This is why this book is extremely important when wanting to improve your live and live it healthily.

 

 

             

Book Report: Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion

Against Empathy: The Case of Rational Compassion

General Overview

The novel "Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion," is about a fundamental need to understand what other people have experienced can end in harsh and irrational behaviors at home and in public. Paul Bloom demonstrates how empathy affects our judgment in all aspects of our lives, from philanthropy and charity to the authorized system; from health care and education to parenting and marriage. Bloom insists that if empathy is absent, we would make decisions that are more logical, fair, and ultimately ethical. In society, empathy is one of the primary causes of unfairness and immorality in the community, in Against Empathy. Empathy is an unpredictable and illogical emotion that occupies our prejudices instead of assisting humanity to enhance our understanding of others. Many people were against this author upon hearing the title of the book. The purpose of this book is despite empathy's possibility of bias, violence, and other undesirable outcomes, empathy may also have positive results. Paul Bloom is against empathy, and he wants others to be against it as well. "The argument against empathy isn't that we should be selfish and immoral. It's the opposite. It's that if we want to be good and caring people and make the world a better place, then we are better off without empathy." Paul is particularly interested in the notion of empathy as the act of experiencing what you consider other individuals are going through or experiencing. 

Several studies have shown that people possess an innate capacity to connect with others who are similar to us, understand what we say, and give us an impression of protection. Therefore Paul Bloom stated that empathy is the most "biased and parochial." There are two interludes between each of the six chapters in Against Empathy. The first provides an overview of the attack on empathy. The second and third chapters address the characteristics that create empathy useless as a guide to morality while addressing the psychological aspects and neuroscience of the heart. This is followed by an additional section that discusses the connection between empathy and politics, mainly how liberals are seen as having more compassion than conservatives. The fourth chapter addresses intimacy and empathy. The fifth chapter is about evil and addresses the notion that people become worse off when they lack empathy with doubt. The final part of the book makes a step back and supports rational thought, arguing that human beings can manage the world through sound decisions. 

Favorite Part

Among the other six chapters, chapter one, Other People's Shoes, appeared to be my favorite part of the book. The main reason that the first chapter of this book is my favorite is that the author provides enough evidence of examples of why it's essential to have morality and not empathy. Many people tend to misunderstand this author when others hear him saying he is against empathy. As Bloom stated, "I want to make the world a better place. I've just come to believe that relying on empathy is the wrong way to do it (pp.16)." The author Paul Bloom mentioned that he is not against morality, compassion, kindness, love, being a good neighbor, being a mensch, and doing what is right. Empathy is the act of coming to experience the world as you think someone else does." Empathy is to place oneself in other people's situations and be on the same level of emotion as the other person. Paul described that if one's suffering makes the other person suffer or feel what one feels, that's the definition of empathy. However, if one can't handle the pain of others but is not in pain, that's what social cognition, social intelligence, mind reading, theory of mind, or mentalizing, according to Paul Bloom. 

There are many examples that Paul Bloom presented in the chapter to clear out all the negativity regards going against empathy. Paul began this chapter by talking about The Nazi Doctors by Rebert Jay Lifton. The author of the book described that the physicians were intelligent yet applied their knowledge to commit horrific acts. In this book of The Nazi Doctors, there wasn't a place for empathy because these physicians talk themselves into doing a terrible thing to do. If they genuinely cared for prisoners in concentration camps, then they wouldn't have such thoughts in the first place. Because these physicians don't have morality, therefore, these problems showed. I believe everyone has a little or more empathy for others, but it's not often used properly. I agree with Paul Bloom. 

In addition, Bloom mentioned the writer Emily Bazelon who stated that " The scariest aspect of bullying is the total lack of empathy"-she diagnoses both the bullies and those who refuse to support the victims and the bullies themselves.  The solution, Emily suggests, is " to remember that almost everyone has the capacity for empathy and decency-and to tend than seed as best as we possibly can (pg. 20)." I agree with Emily Bazelon that a total lack of empathy is a particularly frightening element of harassment. I believe some students were bullied once in their school/college life. Somehow school/college life is incomplete if there's no bullying associated. A number of cases regarding the death of defenseless black individuals at the hands of law enforcement occurred in the fall of 2014, and many individuals stated their anger about Americans' and especially police officers' lack of empathy for racial minorities (pg.19). In this case, I feel like law enforcement lack both empathy and morality. Some are just full of emptiness. These people take an oath not to agree to be truthful or faithful but to commit crimes. Some police officers do what they feel like doing, and it means shooting whoever goes out of their will. Some of these people don't even have the minimum concern for others' lives and forget about saving them. I agree with Paul that people don't have empathy but morality because not everyone does good, even if they have empathy. 

Moreover, Paul described how empathy can battle with other moral considerations. In an experiment by C. Daniel Batson and his colleagues, volunteers received notice that Sheri Summers, a ten-year-old girl with a fatal disease, was lined up for treatment to reduce her pain. She was able to go in front of the line. She had to be patient as kids in more need got there before her when they were told what to do. They frequently decided to move her up, placing her in front of more worthy kids. Empathy overcame fairness leading to an option that the majority would think was immoral. Another example of empathy Paul proved to his audience is about Zell Kravinsky. He gave approximately forty five-million-dollar to charity, yet he thought he wasn't doing enough. Therefore, he "arranged to donate one of his kidneys to a stranger, over the strenuous objections of his family." It's fascinating to see him as super-empathy because the world would. Others should be motivated and inspired by their moral guts but not by some empathic feelings because one doesn't feel empathy for just anyone or everyone. Zell Kravinsky is one of the perfect examples of this book, Against Empathy, and others will learn that there are ways to do more to help people than to be gripped by some empathic emotions. 

Furthermore,  Empathy can be a choice, which Barack Obama described before he became president (pg. 18). He saw the importance "to see the world through the eyes of those who are different from us-the hungry child, the steelworker who's been laid off, the family who lost the entire life they built together when the storm came to town. When you think like this when you choose to broaden your ambit of concern and empathize with the plight of others, whether they are close friends or distant strangers-it becomes harder not to act, harder not to help (pg. 18)." The following line is a fantastic example of how empathy can be beneficial. Empathy enhances our concern for other people and enhances our willingness to work to make their lives better. People frequently assume that empathy is always good. Therefore, Bloom tends to get an adverse reaction when people hear him say, "I'm against it." One can cry seeing another cry, but it doesn't mean that person genuinely feels what the other person feels. Empathy can't go far if one lacks morality. It is essential to see the world of others through the eyes of those who need anything. By acts of will, it can be focused and directed. Empathy is not a reaction only. It can be well-nourished, established, and expanded. Empathy improves our personal desires by including other individuals by guiding the way we ought to conduct ourselves. Other People's Shoes is my favorite chapter because Paul Bloom presented his logic beautifully. One will automatically agree with him without searching for more evidence of why the book is called Against Empathy.

Extension

This book was my first choice among the rest. I was curious to know why Paul Bloom is against empathy and what he has to say about it. Therefore, I chose this book to find more information in detail. Furthermore, I want to extend my report with a current issue of empathy. People believe that emotional empathy is the core of a good human being. However, I don't think it's true. I couldn't agree more with Paul that “empathy is biased”. People would've helped one another in need if we weren't biased. I want to share a current issue of an Asian family regarding empathy. In a family of seven, three sons, two daughters, and parents. When the first two sons get married, the family starts to fall apart. In Asian families, it was expected the daughters-in-law help the in-laws. However, the mother had to do all the work. The daughters-in-law always stay in the room and come out to eat only. They would watch TV and talk on the phone 24/7 with their families, but these women didn't bother to help their mother-in-law since they came to the house as married women. And her sons wouldn't say anything to their wives. 

The mother is aging as days go on, and she can't do all the work alone. These women think that if they help their mothers-in-law, then that would make them servants. Although these women wouldn't do anything in the house, the mother-in-law wouldn't ever complain. One of them said, “She's not my real mom."  When it comes to evaluating other people's beliefs, feelings, and abilities, people are more critical. These women didn't have a connection with the mother-in-law by heart, so they didn't care about the mother a bit. And these women didn't feel anything for the mother-in-law, so they didn't bother to help. I couldn't more agree with Paul Bloom that we only show empathy for those we know. One doesn't show empathy for just anyone. Therefore, it makes sense why these women don’t feel anything for the mother-in-law. However, this world is cruel for good people like the mother. There's no place and justice for the ones who deserve it. There's no place for a mom like her because they are too soft-hearted. This is one of the real-life issues of empathy. Empathy may seem great, but it's not so great for moral guidance. It's no secret that we don't feel empathy for just anyone. And this is the kind of empathy that Paul Bloom is against, and so am I. People naturally put themselves in the shoes of who they know, who they understand, and not the other way around.

Here's a YouTube video of the author, Paul Bloom talking about why he titled it "Against Empathy."

YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjBhxq_YpiQ

Paul Bloom: Against Empathy - YouTube

Grit- book report

  The book I choose for my report is Grit by Angela Duck worth. For starters, this book helped me out of the dark spot I’ve been in mentally. I feel very motivated. The term grit is defined as “a personality trait characterized by perseverance and passion for achieving long term goals.” She emphasizes that success isn’t about talent but instead, grit. The theme is perseverance. It hit home due to the last few years, I lost a child, a grandma, a sister, even myself. In order to get out of that rut I needed to persevere the storm. this book also explores how people who have passion and perseverance, are so different then people who do not. usually people with those traits are high achievers. Duck worth also speaks on that the term grit can be accumulated over time.The book also discusses setting stretch goals maintaining focus and being ok when the circumstances change. Duck worth states “ well ok, I didn’t go as well, but I guess I will just carry on.” She emphasizes that just because things might not work in your favor that doesn’t mean to just give up. Always remember that tomorrow will be better than today and to never overreact to setbacks and failures.“ grit grows as we figure out our life philosophy, learn to dust ourselves off after rejection and disappointment, and learn to tell the difference between low level goals that should be abandoned quickly and high-level goals that demand more tenacity. The maturation story is that we develop the capacity for long-term passion of perseverance, as we get older.” In ways this book applies to our other book ENDURANCE. Duck worth states a very powerful statement saying” when you keep searching for ways to change your situation for the better, you stand a chance of finding them. When you stop searching, assuming they can’t be found, you guarantee they won.” Shackleton never gave up. Persevered through the frigid temperatures, angry seas. Hunger and insanity. The crew had grit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H14bBuluwB8

#3 Drugs

Drugs classified as psychoactive, or chemicals that impact mood and behavior. Caffeine, alcohol, nicotine (legal substances), amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, and opiates that considered psychoactive drugs. The most frequently used psychoactive stimulant in worldwide use is caffeine including colas, coffee, and energy drinks.  Individuals report feeling active, alive, energetic, and sensible. Beer, wine, and distilled spirits are among the many examples of alcoholic drinks that contain alcohol, also known as ethanol. Alcohol produces joy and reduces social barriers if taken in moderate amounts. Tobacco includes the intoxicating substance nicotine. Smokers believe that nicotine helps them relax and improves their mood. Amphetamines are a kind of stimulant that can be produced naturally from the kat plant or synthetically. This drug makes consumers alert, pleased, and content. Methamphetamine has a compound that has psychoactive impacts. Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is a chemical compound that occurs in cannabis. Both marijuana and hashish include THC. The psychological effects of smoking marijuana include euphoria, relaxation, and sleepiness. Cocaine hydrochloride is a colorless chemical made from coca paste, which has no smell. It leads to greater energy, mental focus, and enhanced senses. Opiates are drugs made from the opium poppy the plant's seed sap. Opioids provide a "rush," an elevated mood, excitement, and a decrease in anxiety. Addiction is defined by an intense need for and seeking. Drug use that is a choice results in either stopping frequent use or obsessive uncontrollable use. The craving for drugs is a feeling of overpowering, and the urge can be uncontrollable. However, I don't recommend any drugs in the first place. The people who don't go near any drugs are the ones that stay safe and alive because drugs do vanish from the world.

#1 Impulsivity & Self Control

Impulsive behavior occurs when one takes quick action without thinking through its consequences. Everybody can occasionally act impulsively, especially when we are young. In general, we tend how to control our impulses as we get older. Although the exact causes of impulsivity aren't well-known, however, environmental and genetic factors might be the cause of impulsivity. When we act erratically, we have a tendency to react to stimuli before giving them much thought. Being impulsive may result in adverse consequences, including rash judgments, disagreements, risky actions, financial damage, legal damage, etc. "Sam quit smoking. He must have a lot of willpower." This is not an explanation, and it doesn't explain why he was able to quit smoking. Sometimes loved ones inspire one to get willpower. One needs to be themselves and what they really value. I like the example of the marshmallow, and it is about one controlling them from doing what they want to do. The kid was given a marshmallow and told to wait so they can get another one. Or they can eat.  Most of them waited until the lady came back. The kids had the patience not to eat it and the desire to get a reward. They wanted to get an extra marshmallow, so they didn't eat the ones they had. This is a motivation! A motivation to get something more. It's not easy to avoid impulsive choices, but if there's a will, there's a way. Although I'm not religious, when I follow, I follow my religion seriously. Therefore, I tend to think about the harmful (forbidden, negative) consequences regards impulsive choices.

#2 Reproduction

"People with higher physical attractiveness are better at attracting mates and have more sexual experiences." I believe it's essential for one to select one with some good traits. Although physical attractiveness is important but that doesn't last long. That attractiveness fades away or expires after a while. Appearance is an excellent biological sign of intelligence, an excellent immune system, healthy offspring, and responsible parenting. I believe people don't look for high or low their time selecting partners with high mate value or low. They choose what they like at the moment. The sex differences in long-term mate selection have surprised me. I wasn't aware of the difference. Women select their mates to increase the chance of survival to a few offspring, and men select to produce many offspring. I found it very interesting. However, it makes sense that women prefer someone financially stable, determined, and industrious. These traits are essential to have a successful family. While men like those who are good-looking, and this indicates fertility. Fertility is an essential trait needed to produce "many children." Emotions that are negative like jealousy can be brought on by the notion of abandoning one's partner. Compared to males, women encounter higher sorrow from emotional infidelity. It makes sense because women are more emotional than men. The structural powerless hypothesis explains why women prefer men who are intelligent, determined, dedicated and have financial prospects. Women prefer males who have financial benefits since they have fewer economic possibilities and lack the power to get them. However, I wasn't aware that men report distress from sexual infidelity more than women. It was fascinating to learn about the biosocial theory.

Book Report: The Power Of Habit

In the book “The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg, we learn about how habits are developed/built, what causes them, and their impact on us and our daily lives. Habitual behavior affect us humans on many different levels including personal, social, and professional. Duhigg begins the book by describing and explaining why and how habits are developed. Duhigg explains the psychology as well as sociology behind habits and their development within a variety of different circumstances and settings. Duhigg offers the reader the chance to take control of their unconscious mind, as he explains what is known as the "habit loop". The habit loop is a method used to identify a habit and how it is formed. The habit loop is broken into three stages. First part of every habit is The Cue. The cue  is what triggers the habitual behavior. Second part of the habit loop is The Routine. The routine is simply the habit or behavior that is being performed. Lastly, we have  The Reward. The reward is essentially what feelings the person who has done the behavior gets from it. This might be a quick release of dopamine or stress relief. The book is much more of a self help book than I imagined. I found myself taking a lot of notes and tips/tricks from Duhigg's writing. Duhigg's main purpose of this book is quite obvious: He wants to help the reader break their bad habit loop. 

My favorite part of this book was actually chapter one. This book immediately grabbed my attention with this chapter. A large part of this chapter was explaining the breakdown of what a habit is. Duhigg also presented his framework for what he calls the "Habit loop". The habit loop, as I previously described, is a method invented to help a person identify the exact cause and trigger of a habits through three basics steps. One part I found very interesting is when Duhigg says that habits never leave us. Once a habit it ingrained in us, Duhigg's claims they always wait under the surface for the right trigger or "cue" to release or perform them. I found this quite thought provoking. This reminded me of when we learned about impulse and compulsion in this class. It was unsettling for a moment to read about our bodies in such a nearly dark manner. To be told that some habits, especially the "bad" ones can be ingrained forever was unnerving. It almost made me view our habits as some type of returning rash or condition that we have to keep under control. It than reminded me of my own personal struggles with Trichotillomania. I had once gone two months actively fighting against the compulsion, trying habit reversal methods to make myself feel repulsed by the hair pulling condition. Yet, when I thought I had unlearned this habit, it crept back during an unpresented stressor. Than, without much notice, the habit quickly and almost unnoticeably slipped back into my everyday routine. Although this was unsettling, the book itself offered so much positive information on how to combat these issues. Although it seemed unpleasant at first, being told that this habits will always be there below the surface actually helped me feel even stronger this time as I attempt to beat trichotillomania. It allowed me to accept the reality of my circumstances and just how powerful these habits can be. However, now that I have accepted and acknowledged my habits and their severity, I can now understand them better and have a stronger probability of beating them. I would recommend this book to everyone, as it has useful information that is applicable to nearly anyone's circumstances. Duhigg did an amazing job with this book, and I will be returning to it for more information regarding habits.