Creatures of Habit

Have you always wondered why you do the same things over and over? How you almost always walk the same route to uni, grab the same sandwich, sit in the same spot in a certain lecture theatre? How we walk, talk, move our hands. Every thing?

This thought occured to me during many-a-times but I never really looked into it as much - until now.

"One of the largest elements of this knowledge of human nature if an understanding of the part which habit plays in our lives and of the means we have at hand to direct this great force." (Murdock K.) We do the same things repetitively and on the occasion, we're not conscious of our actions. But why?

I just found it interesting how we find comfort in knowing the end result of something you constantly do. I always try to get into the same piano practice room, for example, because I like the piano's quality when comparing to the others. Or is that really the reason? I enjoy playing on that piano because I'm used to the sound it projects, the touch of it - playing a new piano sometimes can be off-putting due to the unfamiliarity of touch and sound.

"The better part of the behavioural repertoire is frequently exhibited in the same physical and social environment and has taken on a habitual character. (e.g. James, 1890; Ouellette & Wood, 1998; Triandis, 1980) These habits performed are useful in that they enable one to perform one's action in a mindless fashion". (Aarts H. 2000) This article really talks about how we do things without thinking so that we can spend more time learning and making new habits (or other new thought processes that are needed to be thought of consciously).

Thus is doing a certain action automatically etched into our minds because we've done it so routinely that our brain has no need to thoroughly think about it? Is it because we do not like going outside our 'bubble of comfort' that we stick to a routine that we're familiar with?

I guess it's like the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. You'll never know what will happen if you would have done things differently - "And that has made all the difference" (Frost R.) [If you've not read that poem, I suggest you do. It is a pretty meaningful one at that. You can read it here]

A toute l'heure~

Sofie =)