The same process that makes AA so effectiveโthe power of a group to teach individuals how to believeโhappens whenever people come together to help one another change. Belief is easier when it occurs within a community.
Charles DuhiggTypically, people who exercise start eating better and becoming more productive at work. They smoke less and show more patience with colleagues and family. They use their credit cards less frequently and say they feel less stressed. It's not completely clear why. But for many people, exercise is a keystone habit that triggers widespread change.
Charles DuhiggThereโs something really powerful about groups and shared experiences. People might be skeptical about their ability to change if theyโre by themselves, but a group will convince them to suspend disbelief. A community creates belief.
Charles DuhiggHabits are powerful, but delicate. They can emerge outside our consciousness, or can be deliberately designed. They often occur without our permission, but can be reshaped by fiddling with their parts. They shape our lives far more than we realizeโthey are so strong, in fact, that they cause our brains to cling to them at the exclusion of all else, including common sense.
Charles Duhigg