Habituation

I am always fascinated that when I embark on a project that suddenly every where I look is more information.  I suspect the stuff was there all along, I just ignored it before. 

This summer's project is to get my weight and eating to where I feel healthier.  I reached the age where type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and other health problems that are directly related to how I eat become a worry.  I am reteaching myself how to eat.  The first thing I tackled was all the negative tapes.  When I followed MyCounselor's suggestion to put each sentence on a different 3x5 card and then on the back write if it is true or not I discovered that I actually know a lot about good nutrition.  Sometimes I just need to be reminded of what I already knew.  Habituation was one of those reminders.  My grandmother used to say, "A little bit is as good as a feast."  I am reading a book called Authentic Happiness by Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D. I am reading the chapter on 'Happiness in the Present.' This is what I read:

Rapidly repeated indulgence in the same pleasure does not work.  The pleasure of the second taste of Basset's French vanilla ice cream is less than half of the first, and by the fourth taste it is just calories.  Once the caloric needs are sated, the taste is little better than cardboard.  This process, called habituation or adaptation, is and inviolable neurological fact of life.  Neurons are wired to respond to novel events, and not to fire if the events do not provide new information.

I had to test it for myself.  Our extended family gathered for dinner and my daughter brought the fixings for root-beer floats.  I haven't had soda in years because carbonation bothers my stomach.  However, I love root-beer floats and I was definitely feeling left out.  I decided to test this habituation theory.  I measured out a quarter cup of vanilla ice cream and poured over it a quarter of cup of root-beer soda.  The taste was awesome.  When I finished the half cup of deliciousness, I felt satisfied and no longer felt left out.  Fortunately, my daughter took all the ingredients home with her.  It worked for me.  I am delighted.

Thinking this over a lot.  I realized there is a dark side to habituation.  I was raised as more of a 3rd class citizen in my home.  I was used to it.  I didn't really know anything else.  I am so accustomed to being treated poorly I don't recognize when I am being treated badly.  It is not new information so my brain doesn't react any more.  Part of what counseling did for me was raise my awareness so what I was accustomed to having happen was no longer acceptable.  I started to rebel.  I started noticing how much I was disrespected by my family of origin.  Habituation may help with enjoying a more restricted diet but it also impeded my progress to becoming healthier.  This bit of information is far greater than what the author probably originally intended.  I am reading and rereading this section.  I am excited about what this may offer as to insight as to why I tolerated being treated with such disrespect for so long...I didn't know anything else.  Now, I know.  Change is happening at every level.

The light bridge changes color and most people don't notice.