5 Myths About Changing Behavior

Thursday, September 01, 2005

5 Myths About Changing Behavior
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Myth 1: Crisis is a powerful impetus for change
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Reality: Ninety percent of patients who've had coronary bypasses don't sustain changes in the unhealthy lifestyles that worsen their severe heart disease and greatly threaten their lives.

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Myth 2: Change is motivated by fear
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Reality: It's too easy for people to go into denial of the bad things that might happen to them. Compelling, positive visions of the future are a much stronger inspiration for change.

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Myth3: The facts will set us free
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Reality: Our thinking is guided by narratives, not facts. When a fact doesn't fit our conceptual "frames" -- the metaphors we use to make sense of the world -- we reject it. Also, change is inspired best by emotional appeals rather than factual statements.

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Myth 4: Small, gradual changes are always easier to make and sustain
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Reality: Radical, sweeping changes are often easier because they quickly yield benefits.

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Myth 5: We can't change because our brains become "hardwired" early in life
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Reality: Our brains have extraordinary "plasticity," meaning that we can continue learning complex new things throughout our lives -- assuming we remain truly active and engaged.

Blogged on 1:50 AM by Upay

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