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A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit | Judson Brewer | TED

TED

15.9M views 10 years ago

Warm-up Questions

What bad habits do people often want to break?
What do you think is a simple way to change a habit?
How might meditation or mindfulness help with bad habits?

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A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit | Judson Brewer | TED

Why habits are so powerful (00:00 – 03:08)

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1. According to the talk, what often happens even when people try to pay attention?

They start speaking out loud
They remember everything clearly
They immediately fall asleep
They drift into a daydream

2. What learning process does the speaker say is involved in habit formation?

Social comparison
Trial-and-error guessing
Language imitation
Reward-based learning through reinforcement

3. In the habit loop described, what can trigger eating besides hunger?

A loud noise
Cold weather
A difficult book
An emotional signal such as feeling sad

A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit | Judson Brewer | TED

Using mindfulness and curiosity to break habits (03:08 – 06:22)

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1. What surprising instruction did the speaker's lab give people in mindfulness training for smoking?

Only smoke with friends
Smoke more often
Avoid thinking about smoking
Go ahead and smoke, but be very curious about it

2. What did one participant say mindful smoking smelled like?

Burnt bread
Coffee
Stinky cheese
Fresh air

3. Why is cognitive control often unreliable for changing habits?

It disappears when people are relaxed
It only works in children
It is the first part of the brain to go offline under stress
It depends completely on memory

A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit | Judson Brewer | TED

Curiosity, the brain, and practical habit change (06:22 – 09:25)

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1. According to the talk, cravings are made up of what?

External commands
Body sensations that come and go
Hidden memories
Permanent character traits

2. How effective was mindfulness training in one smoking study mentioned by the speaker?

It was slightly worse than standard therapy
It was twice as good as gold standard therapy
It only helped experienced meditators
It had exactly the same results

3. What everyday example does the speaker give at the end as a chance to practice curiosity?

Buying new clothes
Compulsively responding to a text message while driving
Cooking dinner
Talking to a neighbor

A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit | Judson Brewer | TED

Transcript will load here…

1. What is the main message of the talk?

Bad habits can only be changed with strong self-discipline
Curious awareness can help break habit loops more effectively than forcing change
Technology always makes habits worse
Meditation is only useful on silent retreats

2. What role does curiosity play in the speaker's approach?

It makes cravings stronger
It replaces all need for practice
It acts as a natural reward that supports mindful awareness
It distracts people from real problems

3. Why does the speaker mention email, texting, and distraction at the end?

To recommend working more hours
To argue that phones should be banned
To say that texting is worse than smoking
To show that habit loops also appear in everyday digital behavior

Discussion Questions

Discuss the ideas from this video

A Simple Way to Break a Bad Habit | Judson Brewer | TED

What bad habit do you think is hardest to change, and why?
Do you agree that curiosity can work better than self-control for changing behavior? Why or why not?
How can technology be both a cause of distraction and a tool for positive change?
What could you do the next time you feel an unhealthy urge or craving?