I'm starting to think that these proverbial "old habits" have a life expectancy that would shame my grandmother. And she's 87. I say that knowing the guns will be drawn, because I'm implying that people can't change. I believe that people can change their behavior, but not the initial, powerful, gut-clenching reactions that directly affect our decisions. You can change the actions and the paths you take, but the initial leaning toward an "old habit" will never go away. I guess it's kind of like Inertia - that's it, right? Inertia? - an object tends to remain in the state it is in unless another force is acted upon it. So a ball will not move unless some dumb-ass kid kicks it into the street, and I will not stop biting my nails until I actively think to do so. The point is, the change is not a pure switch, it's a separation of wants and deeds. The wants can't be changed, but the actions can.
.....But maybe, by altering the actions, the wants change to accommodate the physical routine. It's similar in psychology. When a person's actions do not line up with their beliefs, the beliefs are often the things that changes, not the actions. And that's because it's easier to change belief than behavior. Which is why if Mike Brady, as a staunch conservative republican, begins to attend communist rallies to get closer to a cute girl, his feelings about communism will change to match his actions. Thanks Psych 101.
The only problem with this reasoning is the fact that there is a difference between conscious opinions and subtle habits people aren't even aware of. Like how I turn my head funny when I'm watching a movie. I don't even know I do it until someone asks me why I'm looking at them. I suppose the difference is how ingrained the habit is in a person's psyche. If it's something they do subconsciously, something tiny that they aren't aware of until it's too late, it's probably a harder hand to shake.
It's all very confusing, but I think I'm doing pretty well, it being 3 AM and all.
Hello bed, goodnight moon (and you).
P. I. Staker
