Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results

society has shifted to a predominantly delayed-return environment
: The original
research on this topic used the terms delayed-return societies and immediate-return
societies. James Woodburn, “Egalitarian Societies,” Man 17, no. 3 (1982),
doi:10.2307/2801707. I first heard of the difference between immediate-return
environments and delayed-return environments in a lecture from Mark Leary. Mark
Leary, Understanding the Mysteries of Human Behavior (Chantilly, VA: Teaching,
2012).
The world has changed much in recent years
: The rapid environmental changes of
recent centuries have far outpaced our biological ability to adapt. On average, it takes
about twenty-five thousand years for meaningful genetic changes to be selected for in a
human population. For more, see Edward O. Wilson, Sociobiology (Cambridge, MA:
Belknap Press, 1980), 151.
our brains evolved to prefer quick payoffs to long-term ones
: Daniel Gilbert,
“Humans Wired to Respond to Short-Term Problems,” interview by Neal Conan, Talk of
the Nation, NPR, July 3, 2006,
https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?
storyId=5530483
.

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Disease and infection won’t show up for days or weeks, even years
: The topics of
irrational behavior and cognitive biases have become quite popular in recent years.
However, many actions that seem irrational on the whole have rational origins if you
consider their immediate outcome.
Frédéric Bastiat
: Frédéric Bastiat and W. B. Hodgson, What Is Seen and What Is Not Seen:
Or Political Economy in One Lesson (London: Smith, 1859).
Future You
: Hat tip to behavioral economist Daniel Goldstein, who said, “It’s an unequal
battle between the present self and the future self. I mean, let’s face it, the present self is
present. It’s in control. It’s in power right now. It has these strong, heroic arms that can
lift doughnuts into your mouth. And the future self is not even around. It’s off in the
future. It’s weak. It doesn’t even have a lawyer present. There’s nobody to stick up for
the future self. And so the present self can trounce all over its dreams.” For more, see
Daniel Goldstein, “The Battle between Your Present and Future Self,” TEDSalon
NY2011, November 2011, video,
https://www.ted.com/talks/daniel_goldstein_the_battle_between_your_present_and_future_self