The Power of Habit quotes

“A sudden change looks like willpower, but it often starts as a pattern.”

“Eugene's case proved that the habit system and the memory-of-facts system are physically distinct.”

“Knowing the loop isn't enough, because the loop is powered by craving.”

“Some habits refuse to die because the craving underneath them is still alive.”

“Some are keystones: change one, and other changes cascade because the system reorganizes around a new standard.”

“Duhigg's headline case is Starbucks, which discovered in the 2000s that its largest hiring constraint was emotional regulation.”

“Duhigg's primary case is the 1987 King's Cross Underground fire in London.”

“Pole's team identified 25 products whose purchasing patterns correlated with pregnancy: unscented lotion, magnesium and zinc supplements, large cotton balls, hand sanitizer, washcloths.”

“Rosa Parks's refusal to give up her seat is taught as the spark — but Duhigg's analysis is structural.”

“Thomas had been a loving husband for nearly forty years and had no history of violence.”

“Duhigg's 4-step framework: (1) identify the routine, (2) experiment with rewards, (3) isolate the cue, (4) have a plan.”

“The science is complex and sometimes uncertain, but the narrative needs clarity.”