Habits and Habitat: How Surroundings Impact Human Behavior

Decluttering Your Mind To Understand the Environment Better ~ Surrounding Matter More! It might be easy to attribute success to tenacity, hard work, and effort while blaming failure on a lack of willpower or talent. Those things do matter, to be sure. Interestingly, though, if you look at how human behavior has evolved, you'll find that talent and motivation are frequently overrated. The surroundings are often more important. The Shape of Human Behavior ~ Anthropologist and biologist Jared Diamond highlights a basic truth in his critically acclaimed book Guns, Germs, and Steel: "Different continents have different shapes." This statement appears very basic and inconsequential at first, yet it turns out to have a significant influence on how people behave. North to south is the main axis of the Americas. In other words, rather than being large and bulky, the landmasses of North and South America are typically tall and thin. In general, Africa is the same. The continents that comprise Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, on the other hand, are the reverse. This vast area of terrain slopes more toward the east-west. Diamond asserts that the centuries-long spread of agriculture was greatly aided by this form disparity. (Source: Guns, Germs, and Steel, a self Help Book By Jared Diamond )  A Case Study ~ The Remarkable Power of Environment: Understanding The Physical Significance  Farmers found it easier to spread their operations along east-west routes than along north-south ones when agriculture started to spread over the world. This is because regions located around the same latitude typically have similar climates, seasons, and levels of sunlight and precipitation. These elements made it possible for farmers in Europe and Asia to domesticate a few crops and cultivate them from France to China. In contrast, there is a significant difference in climate while moving from north to south. Just consider how Florida's climate differs from Canada's. Even if you are the world's most skilled farmer, the Canadian winter will not enable you to grow Florida oranges. Soil is not well substituted by snow. Every time the climate changed, farmers would have to identify and domesticate new species to spread crops along north-south routes. Therefore, compared to its growth over the Americas, agriculture spread two to three times more quickly across Asia and Europe. This little variation had a huge effect over millennia. Population growth was able to occur more quickly due to increased food production. These societies were better able to create new technology and assemble more powerful armies because they had a larger population. Small initial adjustments, such as a crop spreading somewhat farther and a population growing slightly quicker, eventually added up to significant variations. Finding And Analysis of the Case Mentioned Above: The Invisible Hand ~ The environment is the unseen force that molds human nature. Most of the time, we think that our habits are the result of our drive, skill, and work. These are undoubtedly important qualities. The unexpected thing is that your traits often become overwhelmed by your surroundings, especially when this happens over an extended length of time. There is no proof that farmers in Asia and Europe were more skilled or driven than those in other parts of the world. But compared to their peers, they were able to spread agriculture two to three times faster. You should work in an environment that helps, not hinders, your results if you want to increase your chances of success. How to Design a Better Environment~ There are many ways to design an environment that promotes success. Here are three strategies: First, automate good decisions. Whenever possible, design an environment that makes good decisions for you. For example, buying smaller plates can help you lose weight by deciding portion size for you. A study from Brian Wansink at Cornell University found that people eat 22 percent less food by switching from 12-inch dinner plates to 10-inch plates. Similarly, using software to block social media sites can help overcome procrastination by putting your willpower on autopilot. Second, get in the flow. A few years ago, PetSmart changed its checkout process. After swiping their credit card, customers were shown a screen that asked if they wanted to donate to “help save homeless animals.” Through this single strategy, PetSmart Charities raised $40 million in a year. You can apply a similar strategy by designing an environment where good habits “get in the flow” of your normal behaviors. For example, if you want to practice a musical instrument, you could place it in the middle of your living room. Similarly, you are more likely to go to the gym if it is literally on the way home from work than if the gym is only five minutes away, but in the opposite direction of your commute. Whenever possible, design your habits so they fit in the flow of your current patterns. Third, subtract the negative influences. Ancient farmers didn’t have the opportunity to remove the barriers that held them back, but you do. For example, Japanese television manufacturers rearranged their workspaces to save time by eliminating unnecessary turning, bending, and swiveling. You can also reduce the negative influences in your environment. For example, you can make it easier to avoid unhealthy foods by storing them in less visible places. (Foods that are placed at eye level tend to be purchased and eaten more frequently.) The Luck of the Environment ~ Uncertain Nature Of It:  When something goes wrong, we tend to point the finger at our surroundings. The poor state of the economy is the reason behind any job loss. It's the officiating's fault if you lose a game. If you are running late for work, it's due to the crazy traffic. When we succeed, though, we disregard the surroundings. You are likely hired based on your talent and likeability. It's your improved play that wins a game. Being early for a meeting indicates that you are well-organized and punctual. It's critical to keep in mind that both positive and negative behaviors are influenced by our surroundings. People who maintain healthy habits easily are frequently the beneficiaries of environments that facilitate their activities. In the meantime, those who have difficulty succeeding can be up against their surroundings. What frequently appears to be a lack of willpower is the product of a bad environment. Life is a game, and the best way to ensure better outcomes over an extended period is to play the game in a setting that works to your advantage. Those who succeed frequently do so because their surroundings facilitate success!