Andre
We all have bad habits. We have a desire to get rid of these bad habits, but somehow we feel this unusual reluctance within us. That feeling that it is ok to keep it after all. But the question remains, why do we keep those bad habits? What’s the mystery/mysteries surrounding our persisted reluctance about quitting those bad habits. Well, we will be drawing our points from both scientific and social views to draw a rational conclusion about why we have chosen to stick to our bad behaviors despite knowing their consequences.
Over the years, many studies have been done on this psychological trait. One of the most popular ones is the one conducted by the University of Alberta. Their research believes that some people insist on practicing their bad habits even after being aware of its implications because they are yet to see or give a good reason to stop.
When we say “good reason,” we actually mean a more potent reason that is bigger than what makes them continue the bad habit. For example, telling a smoker that they need to quit smoking because “it’s bad” may not be that affective. But telling them they are liable to die sooner is a stronger reason to compel such a smoker to quit.
Research Studies
In two different studies headed by Dr. Cindy Jardine from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, people were asked to rate the risk of different types of dangers, including the ones related to certain lifestyle habits. Then it was certain they clearly understood what behaviors were the most dangerous. Even at that, the knowledge was not substantial enough to encourage them to repent.
Thus, it was made clear that people have a clear understanding of different dangers in their lives. They acknowledged the risks associated with the life they were living. So they clearly understand the implications of their actions. They only need another reason, a stronger one; something they have not heard or seen before, so then they can rethink their actions.
In the second phase of the study carried out by Jardine, 1,200 Alberta residents were studied in 1994 and 2005. Some common bad habits like smoking, sun-tanning, and stress were among the top-ranked three most dangerous Alberta residents’ habits. It was said to be much more severe than technology, pollution hazards, chemical contamination, and ozone depletion. Among all these listed risks, smoking was still considered the most dangerous among the 53% surveyed in 1994; a number that increased to 60% in another survey in 2005. According to the 1994 survey, 54% ranked stress as the most dangerous, while 65% also ranked it in 2005. In 1994, pollution hazards were rated as the most dangerous by just 24%, but the number increased to 28% by 2005. In essence, this means that even when these people knew the dangers of smoking and pollution hazards, the numbers of perpetrators kept increasing over time.
In the second phase of the study, another survey was conducted in Aboriginal, Canada, which (surprisingly) had the same result. But this took a different tone rather. Alcohol and smoking were ranked the most dangerous habits of the Aboriginal community. In addition, 96% of the Aboriginal community admitted that alcohol consumption was the most dangerous habit, while 80% admitted that smoking is the most dangerous.
While interviewing the respondents, they admitted that they are fully aware of the hazards of these behaviors, e.g., the health implications of smoking and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. A situation some of them made known that some babies suffer serious damages as a result of their mother’s excess alcohol consumption. These bad habits may sound scary to them at first, but disappears after some time.
In all ramifications, they are very much aware that alcohol and smoking are bad. According to Jardine, the point is that just telling these people about the implications of their bad habits won’t make much impact. Instead, they relate to them why they do what they do. Let them know the historical background of their habits and only then they will find a reason to “gradually” let go of it.
You have to understand that it is hard to change a bad behavior that is still socially acceptable. Most of these so-called destructive behaviors are always a part of our social structure. So when people like this still see that those bad habits are still relevant in their society, quitting is rarely an option. Let’s give a practical example here…stress is bad and poses a severe threat to a person’s health. Stress is coursed by overworking, and overworking is seen as a symbol of honor in any society. Hardly will you see anybody give the same respect to someone who works 40 hours every week. And since it has become a standard in our current society, we have normalized stress to be part of our lives.
Finally, every human has a bit of rebelliousness in them. We keep doing the wrong thing without having a specific reason for it – giving unreasonable excuses that pose even more danger. The psychology behind bad habits boils down to understanding; when we understand why we do what we do, the science behind it, only then will we have the courage to start working on dropping those bad habits. Again, we should heed more to what concerns us as a people rather than waiting for some social interpretation of matters that concerns us. According to Jardine, “if people fail to understand the psychology behind their habits, it is very hard for them to drop their vices.”
