According to Charles Duhigg, who literally wrote the book on the subject, all habits work fundamentally the same way, whether they’re good or bad: You experience some cue or trigger that brings the habit to mind, you perform your usual routine, and then you receive a reward of some kind. There’s good news and bad news about this underlying similarity between all habits. The bad bit is that this psychological
2. Articles by other Writers
March 29, 2023
The Year of Hygge, the Danish Obsession with Getting Cozy
The Oxford Dictionaries’ 2016 “word of the year” shortlist was heavy on neologisms that one wishes didn’t have to exist: “alt-right,” “Brexiteer,” and this year’s winning term, “post-truth.” Among the finalists, though, there was one bit of solace: “hygge,” a Danish term defined as “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” Pronounced “hoo-guh,” the word is said to have no direct translation
March 15, 2023
How to Criticize with Kindness: Philosopher Daniel Dennett on the Four Steps to Arguing Intelligently
“Just how charitable are you supposed to be when criticizing the views of an opponent?” By Maria Popova “In disputes upon moral or scientific points,” Arthur Martine counseled in his magnificent 1866 guide to the art of conversation, “let your aim be to come at truth, not to conquer your opponent. So you never shall be at a loss in losing the argument, and gaining a new discovery.” Of course,