Our Habits Are Hard To Drop

Habits are incredibly hard to drop because our brain is wired to automate our behaviour from a very young age. When we repeat an action, this builds deep neurological pathways to save energy, making the routine completely automatic and easy.

Our brain can’t distinguish between a good habit and a bad habit; it just seeks efficiency and the chemical reward of dopamine that follows, offering short term satisfaction.

Because of this wiring, we can’t easily erase a habit. Instead, we have to rewire the brain through practice, and that practice is being aware of being foolish.

Few of us want to admit to being foolish, and therefore suffering.
That is the first step on the path to enlightenment.

Compassion is the ability to empathise with foolishness.