Why is it Easier to Develop a Bad Habit Over a Good One?

Via katia1307
I am a firm believer that each and every one of us has the potential to do something grand with our lives. It is, unfortunately, the bad habits in our lives which deviate our interests towards goals with no long-lasting, significant purpose. I think that when you try and understand an issue at its roots, it may be a lot easier to eradicate. So, let's answer that question, why are bad ways more popular in people than good?

First of all let's analyze the psychology behind a habit. On technical terms, it can be defined as a routine behavior that is repeated regularly and may occur on a subconscious level. On less technical terms, it is something you are used to doing which may provide you pleasure.

It seems that the gratification perceived from a bad habit tends to be almost immediate and that's why they are so easy of adopting, whereas good habits are based more on long-term goals and the immediate benefits are not as obvious. Let's describe a scenario to explain this a little further. Imagine one day you come back from a hard day at work, after all the stress and anxiety you went throughout the day, all you want to do is relax. In your head you are meddling with two choices: A) Get comfortable in a couch, with a soda and some popcorn. Watch a couple of your favorite sitcoms and call it a night, or B) Go to the gym for an hour of exercise. What do you do? Yes, I know, sitting down right now, in front of your computer, the answer seems pretty obvious. The fact of the matter is, most of the time when you're not consciously thinking of the benefits each one may bring you on a long term basis, you tend to go for the option which requires the least amount of effort and gives you the most pleasure (at that specific moment), which in this case would be option A. 

Via addicted2lost
Still, even if you are aware that exercise is a much better option than just sitting in front of a box as you are entertained, why do you persist in choosing A? The answer is simple. Option A will provide you immediate pleasure almost without putting any effort whatsoever. B, on the other hand, requires a considerable amount of effort and noticeable results are far fetched, leaving you with a satisfaction level of fulfilling such a task as ambiguous.

The purpose of this post is to make you realize the psychology of your decisions. Maybe if you know why you take certain choices, it will be easier to break bad habits and create new, good ones. Anyways, your opinions on this topic will be greatly appreciated to enhance the value of this post?
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