HABITS

EVERY ANIMAL ON EARTH FORMS HABITS.  IT WOULD BE A WASTE OF PROCESSING POWER IF EVERY MORNING WE HAD TO ACTIVELY THINK ABOUT GETTING UP AND DOING THE THINGS NECESSARY TO SUSTAIN LIFE.  THE DIVIDING LINE BETWEEN HABITS, WHICH ARE EFFICIENT HEALTHY AND USEFUL, AND OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER, INCLUDING ADDICTION, IS WHETHER THE COMPULSIVE ASPECT OF OUR PERSONALITY MORE OR LESS FORCES US TO DO THINGS THAT ARE INUTILE, THAT ACTUALLY GET IN THE WAY OF USEFUL AND LIFE-SUSTAINING ACTIVITIES AND MAKE OUR LIVES MORE DIFFICULT.  THAT THESE COMPULSIONS DAMAGE OUR LIVES AND THE LIVES OF THOSE AROUND US IS A SUBJECTIVE CALL, BUT MOST PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM THIS GENETICALLY CODED DISABILITY MANIFEST MULTIPLE EXAMPLES OF DAMAGING BEHAVIOR IN THEIR LIVES AND IN FACT MULTIPLE PROBLEMS IS AN IMPORTANT CLUE TO THE DIAGNOSIS.  IF AFTER REFLECTION ONE CONCLUDES THAT COMPULSIVE HABITS OF THOUGHT AND ACTION ARE HURTING AND MAKING LIVES MORE DIFFICULT IT MIGHT BE MOST EFFECTIVE TO BEGIN AN OPEN AND SOLICITOUS DIALOGUE WITH THOSE AFFECTED.  IT MIGHT ALSO BE USEFUL TO ENLIST PROFESSIONAL HELP IN IMPROVING LIFE FOR THOSE THAT ARE, NOT COINCIDENTALLY, LIKELY MOST IMPORTANT TO US, INCLUDING SELF OF COURSE.  IN SO DOING WE MAY BE ABLE TO RID OURSELVES OF CRIPPLING GUILT, WHICH IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD IMPROVEMENT. 


WE HAVE NOT DESIGNED OURSELVES.  WHATEVER INHERENT PROBLEMS WE ENCOUNTER, OUR JOB IS NOT TO CONDEMN, EITHER IN OTHERS OR OURSELVES, THE FACT OF THEIR EXISTENCE OR EVEN THEIR PERPETUATION IN OFFSPRING — OUR JOB IS TO SEEK PRAGMATIC SOLUTIONS IN THE FORM OF CONSCIOUS BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION OF GENETICALLY CODED AUTOMATIC RESPONSES TO LIFE.  IN ADDITION TO RELIEVING MUCH DISCOMFORT AND ALLOWING MORE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES ALL AROUND, THIS CONSCIOUS INTERVENTION, WHICH MAY FOREVER NEED TO BE CONSISTENTLY APPLIED TO IMPULSES, MAY SERVE AS A MOST USEFUL EXAMPLE TO OTHERS.