Is everyone capable of breaking bad habits?

[Shodburrito]

Part of me wants to believe that everyone is capable of breaking dyfunctional habits and lifestyles (vaping, excessive junk food, laziness, etc.)
But part of me doesn't understand why people live in the same dysyunctional shit for decades while barely changing. I don't know if my brain is wired different, I just have a different perspective, or what, but it's very easy for me to adapt and change. Meanwhile 90%+ of the population just generally seems to be incapable of personal development in any major ways (and sometimes minor) ways.

I mean, everyone has goals and dreams, but it seems like a lot of people just give up on them for mediocrity. I understand people's egos want to defend their identities, but does anyone actually want to be morbidly obese, an alcoholic, or unorganized, instead of being healthy, sober, or organized? (Just examples, I'm not saying everyone has these habits.)

My only explanation is that people simply don't care. If they wanted something badly enough, they would certainly give up a bad habit to achieve that thing. It baffles me.

[LifeEnjoyer]

bad habits are very hard to break as you stated

and

most people are quitters  

[Spiritual Warrior]

1. Society sets us up for a mediocre life. Main stream media is not pushing us to self actualize 

2. Instilling hard work and discipline into your life is difficult, especially with all of the instant gratification that is right at our fingertips.

3. Some people have serious trauma from childhood that has given them worse pain than anything you or I can even fathom  

[Evelyna]

5 hours ago, Shodburrito said:

Part of me wants to believe that everyone is capable of breaking dyfunctional habits and lifestyles (vaping, excessive junk food, laziness, etc.)
But part of me doesn't understand why people live in the same dysyunctional shit for decades while barely changing. I don't know if my brain is wired different, I just have a different perspective, or what, but it's very easy for me to adapt and change. Meanwhile 90%+ of the population just generally seems to be incapable of personal development in any major ways (and sometimes minor) ways.

I mean, everyone has goals and dreams, but it seems like a lot of people just give up on them for mediocrity. I understand people's egos want to defend their identities, but does anyone actually want to be morbidly obese, an alcoholic, or unorganized, instead of being healthy, sober, or organized? (Just examples, I'm not saying everyone has these habits.)

My only explanation is that people simply don't care. If they wanted something badly enough, they would certainly give up a bad habit to achieve that thing. It baffles me.

Everyone is capable of building new habits and replacing the old ones, it is a choice everyone has available to them. People who choose to endure the same routines even if it causes them stress see greater benefit in staying where they are due to fear of a worst circumstances arising from their decision to change something. People resist change although change of some kind is inevitable, the more and the longer they resist the harder it will become to change this. People try to change something, their plan doesn’t work out, they identify with the failure of the plan now believing they have failed when in reality is the method itself that was ineffective, not the person,  and this creates self doubt , lack of confidence and fear, often they won’t try another approach. In saying all this , everyone has their own path to self discovery, some choose one way some another, but we all have the same capabilities. 

[Atb210201]

Of course

It would be ignorant to think we are forever limited by our habits and can't change them if we want to

It's just a self imprisonment act if we think this way

Edited August 26 by Atb210201

[ICURBlessings]

Every habit, wanted or unwanted, destructive or not, are driven by a belief. 99% of the time these beliefs are kept unconscious, as a form of protection, because they are valued. Here is a simplistic example: A common belief that is unconsciously driving humanity is the belief that "Change is bad". Such a belief will not help the desire to change a habit. Of course any actual case is more complex than this. Other problematic beleifs may include:

• I am not capable of achieving anything good
• I am not worth it
• Something is fundamentally wrong with me
• I don't have enough energy
• I don't have enough time in my life for creating a change

... remember these beliefs abides unconsciously which does not make them any less efficient.

[ICURBlessings]

1 minute ago, ICURBlessings said:

Every habit, wanted or unwanted, destructive or not, are driven by a belief. 99% of the time these beliefs are kept unconscious, as a form of protection, because they are valued. Here is a simplistic example: A common belief that is unconsciously driving humanity is the belief that "Change is bad". Such a belief will not help the desire to change a habit. Of course any actual case is more complex than this. Other problematic beleifs may include:

• I am not capable of achieving anything good
• I am not worth it
• Something is fundamentally wrong with me
• I don't have enough energy
• I don't have enough time in my life for creating a change

... remember these beliefs abides unconsciously which does not make them any less efficient.

Therefore before habits can easily be changed - one has to become more conscious 

[Ishanga]

I just luv this explanation of Habits from Sadhguru, before I saw this video this sort of realization never entered my mind or awareness, but when I did watch it it changed most everything, its so cool and makes too much sense and is practical!

Habits are disempowering, because Habit indicate Unconsciousness, Your not aware of what You doing while engaged in a Habit of sorts, so in essence all Habits are Bad!

Consciousness means I am Aware of all Actions being performed at all times, there are 4 basic areas of Action taking place at all times within a Human, Body, Mind, Emotional and Energy action, how many ppl are Aware of this? Very Few.

Now even on the one level of Bodily Action, if You create Habits, then when you do simple actions like brushing Your teeth, if Your not aware of what is happening it becomes a Habit action, then Your developing Unconsciousness, this is happening in lots of ways in ppls lives on many different levels of their Being, Unconsciousness of the Actions they are performing, the consequence of this is that Ppl are Living Life by Accident, and this leads to Suffering on a large scale.

The solution is too bring Awareness into Your Life, become Aware of all the Actions taking place in Your Life, Awareness is not about Thinking or Mental Focus necessarily, its about I am Living and Aware of what is going on within this Moment, once that happens then Life changes and is transformed, Karma is no longer a problem in Your Life, and then Free Will becomes available to You, You can now choose how to be, and how You want to Live Your Life, Predetermination is no longer possible for You now!

So all ppl can become Aware, that is a basic capability of any and all Human Beings, if they strive and seek it out!

 

[LifeEnjoyer]

3 hours ago, ICURBlessings said:

Therefore before habits can easily be changed - one has to become more conscious 

well put!

[Princess Arabia]

People are operating off of a program; and unfortunately, most people have been programmed to be consumers and are hypnotized by the matrix. Some of them aren't happy with their lifestyle choices but are unaware that there's a program running in the background that's causing their laziness, overeating, bad habits etc. The one's that say they're happy with their lives even when it's toxic and filled with what you've mentioned are just used to it and comfortable with the known. Same emotions, same thought patterns, same food, same entertainment, same company etcetc. It's what they're used to and the mind sometimes finds comfort in that.

Deep suffering sometimes is the catalyst for change and improvement. Most people are just coasting through life and knumb themselves with distractions which are plenty.

 

Edited August 26 by Princess Arabia

[Chadders]

@Shodburrito I think a lot has to do with ambition. If you have a lot of ambition you will have a grand vision for what you want your life to be and to truly actualise on that requires significant personal development

The greater the ambition the greater personal development you need. Most people are just not that ambitious. Conscious plays a part as well

[Marcel]

Learned helplessness is a huge part of this as well. I speak out of experience. If you grow up in a household in which it’s present it’s difficult to unlearn. Definitely possible though 

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learned_helplessness

[Lila9]

It’s possible if you do it gradually: educate yourself about the correct ways to change your bad habit, maintain awareness, be loving and gentle towards yourself, and remind yourself of what could happen if you don’t change it. In the beginning, it feels odd, not like “yourself,” difficult, and awkward, but at some point, you get used to the good habit you replaced the bad habit with, you enjoy the benefits, and you don’t want to regress. 

I am a night owl, I have a strong genetic inclination to be a night owl. I have been struggling to go to sleep before 00:00 and wake up before 11:00-12:00 PM. Which affected my life, my productivity at work, my creativity and artistic pursuits, mental health and self esteem.

But I worked on it and discovered a sleep ritual that works for me, and now I fall to sleep before 00:00 and wake up before 7:00 AM.

There were more bad habits I had to work on, but sorting out my sleep was one of the most difficult things for me to change. Now, this feels natural.

I have more small bad habits to work on, and my success in getting rid of bad habits in the past motivates me and shows me that change is very possible and that the human nature is much more adaptive that it believes to be.

[Ulax]

Different reasons for different people.

The reason why a dyslexic is going to struggle to form a reading habit is going to be different from someone who just doesn't care. 

[Sugarcoat]

I’ve thought about this too. Average people puzzle me in general . I think there are several factors to this. So the more self centered you are the more interested you are in your ideal self and self improvement etc so you’ll be more likely to be interested in health etc. Also the way the human ego is structured it’s like patterns of conditioned responses and it tries to maintain itself and keep itself stable so breaking habits require breaking through yourself so any change comes with a little self dissolution in my experience which can be difficult. Human brain too aren’t designed for the modern world things that used to be scarce are now abundant. 

[Rafael Thundercat]

On 26/08/2024 at 3:53 AM, Shodburrito said:

I understand people's egos want to defend their identities, but does anyone actually want to be morbidly obese, an alcoholic, or unorganized, instead of being healthy, sober, or organized?

Yes, this is my brother, he keep bragging about principles,values and etc.. but keep smoking,drinking,having bad friendships and eating things that make he fat. Some souls came to this life to hit the wall, die and start again. 

[Schizophonia]

Because of comfort.

[gettoefl]

other people are a trap in 2 ways

1. stop bitching and directing bitterness and judgement to how another lives their life

everyone out there is perfect except you of course

2. stop listening to others to tell you how to fix yourself, if you are not doing something different from EVERYTHING and EVERYONE you have ever heard you are still a rookie

define for yourself why you incarnated to earth and what is your mission and goal and put the timetable in place to achieve it

i have given my answer plenty of times ... truth is you have to do you

[retroAA]

I’ve just recently rewatched the video overcoming addiction. It’s hard to admit but this is really the a similar mechanism I think. 

[PurpleTree]

probably not because it seems like there is no free will really 

so changing habits is just what seems to be happening or playing out

who knows though