The Power of Habit review

The Power of Habit review

The Power of Habit” by Charles Duhigg extensively elaborates on what causes the development of habits in humans. Duhigg, in the book, further explains the processes that are involved in converting a simple action into a frequent thing that becomes difficult to quit (Duhigg). Specifically, the book focuses on the development of gambling addiction, a process that he explains most people indulge in it involuntarily. According to Duhigg, gambling habit is adopted without the knowhow of the individual and eventually becomes a neurological issue that is difficult to overcome. However, further evidence from the book indicates that the addict, Angie Bachmann, is conscious concerning the addiction and understands the repercussions of engaging in the process.

Angie Bachmann is fully responsible for her ultimate fall into debts as a result of indulgence in gambling. While various external factors play a significant role in putting Angie Bachmann into addiction, they are insufficient to exempt her from the indulgence. Analyzing the multiple reasons that support the argument that Angie Bachmann is guilty of her indulgences will open up crucial insights into the contentious topic of whether addiction is a result of free will or external factors that are out of control of those involved. By utilizing Schaler’s argument that addiction is exclusively out of the individual’s choice, it will be possible to identify why Angie Bachmann had the chance of turning away from her gambling behavior at a stage when the process began.

Duhigg explains that getting hooked into behavior is segmented into three main processes. Primarily, there’s the emergence of a trigger that pushes the individual to engage in something unconsciously. For example, Angie Bachmann finds herself visiting Herrah Casino as a result of boredom. “That day, she made a deal with herself; if she could make it until noon without going crazy or eating the cake in the fridge, she would leave the house and do something fun.” (Duhigg 246). This trigger leads to the development of a routine, and this depends on the rewards that the individual reaps from the indulgence. Schaler confirms that an activity can eventually morph into an uncontrollable trait to the individual (Schaler). However, he cautions that it would be inappropriate to label every indulgence an unconscious occurrence, especially when it is self-destructive. He insists that there are various phases towards getting fully addicted where most individuals act out of the knowhow, and these instances suggest that the person usually has a chance of avoiding the development of the harmful indulgence. The individual has the freedom to choose what is right or wrong, even after indulging in seemingly rewarding behavior.

According to Duhigg, Angie Bachmann chooses to engage in gambling. This act itself is substantive to prove that getting hooked into the behavior is primarily a result of a personal choice. Schaler attributes behavioral development to a major choice that the individual makes in the first instance. While Duhigg also argues that addiction is a neurological issue that can, at times, develop without the knowhow of the individual, the person involved drives themselves into this state. Angie Bachmann probably has other alternatives to eliminating boredom other than engaging is casino gambling. However, the fact that she chooses this particular engagement as the path towards deriving joy to her life means that she is the chief cause of her ultimate addiction.

Numerous external influences tend to suggest that Angie Bachmann is a victim of the surroundings and that her actions would have been different suppose she was in another environment. According to her lawyer, the casino offers her incentives, such as alcohol, to continue visiting the casino. There are other offers that keep drawing her to the casino even after making massive losses. For instance, she wins $530 after staking $$80, and this is an example of the numerous rewards that suggest that her indulgences are in unconsciousness. “One afternoon, she sat down at the blackjack table with $80 in her purse and left with $530-enough to buy groceries, pay the phone bill, and put a bit in the rainy day fund.” (Duhigg 247). However, Schaler asserts that addictions are not primarily involuntary as the addicts themselves are capable of monitoring the consumption of their habits. He compares this to alcohol addiction, whereby alcoholics are capable of controlling the amount of alcohol that they consume (Schaler). They also offer themselves ample time and resources to recover from the harmful effects of the indulgence, evidence that they are entirely in control of their actions. This argument perfectly fits into Angie Bachmann’s case and her addiction to gambling.

Additionally, in the book, Duhigg confirms that Angie Bachmann is fully aware of the negative effects of gambling, and she, as a result, comes up with strict measures to prevent falling deep into the apparent bad behavior. “She knew gambling could lead to trouble, so she set strict rules for herself.” (Duhigg 247). However, she cannot stick to the strict gambling behavior as the superficial reward that the act delivers to her are more overwhelming. She is probably driven by the thrill of winning in the casino rather than eliminating boredom and loneliness at home. This reward implies that Angie Bachmann is highly responsible for diverting from the initial gambling procedure. Also, the fact that she is aware of the cons of participating in gambling makes her fully accountable for the consequences that ultimately befalls her leaving her in deep debt after having a large amount of money.

Another factor that further adds strength to the claim that Angie Bachmann is fully responsible for actions is that she does very little to avert from the behavior even after it becomes all evident that it is highly destructive. She loses all her money and even goes further to secretly stake a mortgage with the hope of recouping her money. This shows extremism in the behavior. This deed illustrates that she has a chance to quit the habit before it is too late, yet she insists on trying her luck in the hope of paying the casino its money. Failure to grasp this chance emphasizes Schaler’s argument that addiction is a choice of the individual as there are numerous stages where the person involved has the possibility of making reasonable decisions, yet they do not

In conclusion, it is all evident from the book that addictions are, in most cases, voluntary acts, and individuals who find themselves hooked should be responsible for the behavior without blaming the external factors that could have contributed to the indulgences. Angie Bachmann makes the initial choice of visiting the casino to eliminate boredom and loneliness at home. At this stage, no external factor compels her to visit the casino, specifically other than any other place that could aid her to escape from the loneliness. Angie Bachmann is also aware of the adverse effects of gambling and goes ahead to develop a strict plan that she fails to adhere to. This further explains that she is responsible for her deeds. Additionally, she indulges in gambling even when she has got to a breaking point following the loss of a massive fortune. While this should be a turning point, she does not grasp it and instead continues to gamble. These pieces of evidence are enough to suggest that Angie Bachmann is fully responsible for her addictions and that blaming external factors is a lame way of excusing herself.