The Easiest Way to Change People's Behavior

[xi_o_teaz]

lupabitch linked to a great article on The Easiest Way to Change People's Behavior. I couldn't agree more. When I'm at work helping people change their behaviors, I call this "setting yourself up for success." Use that laziness to your advantage, people (I know, atlas_mason, this wouldn't work for you, but you're an exceptional individual, as we both know ;-) Make

Comments

[drjon]

Psychogeography. It's Taoist: make it physically easy for people to behave in the required action, and physically hard for them to behave in the unwanted action, and they will do what you want.

[xi_o_teaz]

Precisely. And also why I used the icon I did ;-)

Gods, but I love Taoism.

[erl_queen]

It's amazing, the tiny things that can change behaviors.

For instance, I was having trouble obeying a certain taboo about when I could and couldn't smoke. I struggled with this for probably two years - slowly getting better, but not ever quite doing it right. You know how I finally fixed it? Switched to these unfiltered types that were kind of chunky and primitive looking, and just seemed, in my mind, to be more ritualistic than casual. Immediate change. Go figure.

I will definitely have to look at some of the habits I'm trying to change/replace and think about using laziness to my advantage. :)