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We know there are certain chemicals that are designed to give us a rush of pleasure. But, one of the most amazing things about being human is our capacity to override that pleasure. To either say, 'I don't need that pleasure right now. I'm going to ignore the craving.' Or to find something else that we find a deeper sense of reward from.
Charles Duhigg
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Humans have the ability to control their cravings for immediate pleasure in favor of deeper rewards.

In this quote, Charles Duhigg highlights the unique human capacity to resist temptations for instant gratification in pursuit of more meaningful and fulfilling rewards. This ability to override our natural cravings showcases a deeper level of self-control and awareness, allowing individuals to prioritize long-term satisfaction over fleeting pleasures, ultimately leading to a more rewarding life experience.

Themes

Self-ControlPleasureRewardCravingsHuman Behavior

In practice

Example use cases

During a wellness seminar discussing self-discipline in achieving personal goals.

More from Charles Duhigg

There is a calculus, it turns out, for mastering our subconscious urges. For companies like Target, the exhaustive rendering of our conscious and unconscious patterns into data sets and algorithms has revolutionized what they know about us and, therefore, how precisely they can sell.
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A huge amount of success in life comes from learning as a child how to make good habits. It's good to help kids understand that when they do certain things habitually, they're reinforcing patterns.
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When a habit emerges, the brain stops fully participating in decision making. It stops working so hard, or diverts focus to other tasks. So unless you deliberately fight a habit -- unless you find new routines -- the pattern will unfold automatically.
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Cravings are what drive habits. And figuring out how to spark a craving makes creating a new habit easier.
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Every habit is made of three parts... a cue, a routine and a habit. Most people focus on the routine and behavior, but these cues and rewards are really the way you make something into a habit.
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When marketers influence habits, they influence peoples' self-identity. And so when a group or company does something that doesn't correspond to our core values, it feels like a betrayal.
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Quote by Charles Duhigg | QuoteProject