De Botton On Habit Summary

Convey adds the saying, “The road to anywhere is really a life to nowhere.” To be headed in the right direction, Convey suggests that we need to be selective with the people that are let into our lives, make sure they have our best interest in mind, and then do not be afraid to borrow strength from those people to get to your final destination. The habit is also about understanding that it is easy to trail off in another direction, but also about understanding how to get back on track. It is implied that to get where we want to go in life, mistakes must be embraced, other people’s prejudgments must be ignored, and learn to never settle. “Begin with the End in Mind” had an impact on me because it is a habit I need to focus on. To implement the habit in my own life, I will write down goals, think about what I need to achieve the goals, and work hard to develop qualities I want but

Throughout our lives, many of us are presented with difficulties and experiences that shape who we are and what we believe in. Eventually, these characteristics solidify, becoming the guiding force in our decision making. Many may argue that this conditioning to a certain behavior takes away the freedom of choice; all decisions are a direct cause of our habituation. This assumption is false; every choice we make with regard to the characteristics we take upon ourselves, or rather personal virtues, is a free choice. We choose our responses to stimuli, and eventually this habituation allows us to act within a set of bounds conforming to our identity and gives us even greater freedom by releasing us from the pain of indecision. By acting in accordance with our set of personal virtues, not only is one free through their choices, but they are also happy.

of the meaning of life. It works together with self -actualization, a level of psychological

That one can find meaning, contentment, and inspiration in life. No matter how long a person has struggled with pain and problems, growth and improvement are possible.

While acknowledging how extreme focus objectively helps to notice more minute details in a very analytical way, leisure brings natural and creative influence to one's character. Taking in the moment as it comes puts of critical thought and allows impressions to simmer and not be cast aside so quickly; things one may have taken for granted can develop into new awareness. Dillard describes this process, "You must allow the muddy river to flow unheeded in the dim channels of consciousness; you raise your sights; you look along it, mildly, acknowledging its presence without interest and gazing beyond it into the realm of the real where subjects and objects act and rest purely" (Dillard 32-33). The ability to take experiences as they come with no instant reaction takes disciplined effort; an attempt to become fully devoted to the truth of the world is not something one can force, but will come to one with control over their mind, regard for their own preconceptions, and openness to new perspectives. Someday, one's curated sense of self will be met with the random winds of all matter and carried aloft in a gust of understanding and universal

In context to reverting the process of habituation, Alain de Botton states,” I forced myself to obey a particular kind of mental command; to look around me as though I had never been in this place before. And slowly my travels began to bear fruit. Under the command to consider everything as of potential interest, objects released latent layers of value,” (De Botton, ). Here, he states that it is necessary to adapt a mindset in which you look at your surroundings and familiar objects from a way that one had previously not seen it before. By this, an individual can develop,” latent layers of value,” (De Botton, 63). Familiar objects in a habituated surrounding can exhibit deep, hidden meanings that one may not have realized before. At times it may feel like there is nothing to be discovered because one has become so habituated to one’s surroundings. Changing one’s perspective can reveal the true value of an object that had been long forgotten about. It can also remind an individual of the memories and experiences related to the object. When adapting an “open-minded mindset,” an individual can help differentiate between the ordinary and the extraordinary

Being at peace with myself and developing, or maintaining, lasting relationships as my true self, or sage, without the hyper-achiever mode I ordinarily experience, is particularly appealing to me.

“The Habit Loop” written by Paul Minor, explains how habit loops form and how they affect your brain and daily life, the beginning details the life of a man named Eugene. Eugene gotten sick rapidly and had an infection, viral encephalitis, diagnosed through a sample of cerebrospinal fluid through a needle in his spine, which exhibited a cloudy color, looked to be filled with microscopic grit. Doctors were able to prescribe Eugene antiviral drugs to counteract the infection he had, however after waking up from the coma, he had issues and doctors claimed Eugene wouldn’t be the same person as before. Since the infection destroyed parts of Eugene’s brain, specifically his medial temporal lobe, he struggled with amnesia and thought nothing was

their knowledge of how the real world is supposed to be.  In the real world, I live each and everyday to

de Botton employs literary devices to convey the diverse relationship between an individual and an environment thus shaping the reader’s varied “perception of real landscapes”. Additionally, conveying the diverse individual response due to the varying perspectives of how individuals view themselves and the world around them. de Botton’s intertextuality of Huysmans misanthropic hero Des Esseintes recognise that the allusion of anticipation ultimately affects an individual’s approach to the experience of travel. This anecdote further conveys the ideal that “The reality of travel is not what we anticipate” and that “reality must always be

In daily life, we must be able to filter out the multitude of distractions which any physical environment can impose upon our senses. By creating a tunneled vision approach to moving about the environments which are a part of our everyday existence, we can more efficiently complete the tasks which are required of us in our various roles in society. In his essay “On Habit,” Alain de Botton, writes that people have become habituated in their own daily lives. In his first section he details himself returning from Barbados to London who discovers the weather isn’t what he expected. He expected his mood from the weather of Barbados to stay the same in London. De Botton illustrates that people in general are unhappy when it comes to observing

Dreams or fantasies are windows to new and exciting worlds. The usage of the imagination can make reality or the world a more pleasing place to live in. However when dreams are interpreted as goals, it can make our view of the world very narrow and limited. The narrative, “The World and Other Place” by Jeannette Winterson involves a story of a pilot who let his fantasies guide him towards reaching his goal. His imagination caused a positive impact in his life which was achieving his dream. He attained his dreams because of his goal driven mindset, in which the focus is set on one goal. “On Habit” by Alain de Botton is about the author’s views on the travelling and habituated mindset. He notices that his life

“enhancing self-awareness, recognizing values of ‘congruence, unconditional positive regard, and empathic understanding’, self-responsibility, understanding one’s feelings, awareness of one’s own perspective, being open to experience, being rational, living a fuller life, positive life-direction, acceptance of one’s and other’s uniqueness, prizing one and others, and living a moral and ethical life” (pg. 343).

First off, we are creatures. We are animals. We're very sophisticated and good-looking and all that, but let's never forget that we're made of flesh and blood. In particular, our brains are incredibly complex evolved machines. Our brains govern basic processes such as breathing and food intake, and also enable us to appreciate the finer points of John Cleese's performances in Fawlty Towers.

happiness; take some time to enjoy the current moment you are experiencing. Being able to