Habituation in Life

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Habituation is the phenomenon where individuals respond less to constant stimuli over time. This principle applies not only to simple things but also to more complex aspects of life. Just as one can stop noticing the colors in a familiar environment, people tend to habituate to both positive and negative aspects of life. Initially exciting events like moving to a new home or starting a new job lose their appeal over time as individuals become accustomed to them. Similarly, negative aspects such as inefficiencies at work or issues like racism and sexism can fade into the background as people habituate to them. Essentially, habituation leads individuals to overlook both the positives and negatives in their lives as they become accustomed to the familiar.

Do you ever feel like your life has become a film loop of the familiar? Maybe you sympathize with the elegiac poet Logan Roy, who said, "Nothing tastes like it used to, does it? Nothing's the same as it was." What lit you up on Monday barely sparks your interest by the weekend. But don't worry, there's nothing wrong with you. You're just experiencing what scientists call habituation, a fancy word for a phenomenon we all face. And the good news is that there's something you can do about it, methods and tools you can use to disrupt familiar patterns, jostle your needle out of its well-worn groove, and refresh the way you see and connect with the people, places, and things in your life. This process is called dishabituation — or, if you prefer, re-sparkling — and neuroscientist Tali Sharot is on the show today to teach you how to do it.

Book: "Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There"

Guest: Tali Sharot

Host: Michael Kovnat

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