Information Related to "The Power of Habits"
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I'm just not doing well in school. My grades are not good. I'm
not getting my homework done and feel crummy about myself.
I'm frustrated that I can't seem to make good choices. When I'm with my friends, I just give in to what they want to do.
I always hear about how I should study and read the Bible... but I just can't
get into it! It's frustrating, because I know it contains a lot of good
stuff—but I just don't have the time and desire to read it...
What these problems have in common is that they are all caused by one thing—poor choices. Poor choices, when made often enough, become bad habits.
And these poor choices and habits are showing up all over. According to a just-released study based on a 2004 national survey of 24,763 high school students, nearly two thirds (62 percent) cheated on exams and more than one in four (27 percent) stole from a store within the past 12 months. And 40 percent admit they "sometimes lie to save money." These are bad choices—habits—that happen all too easily.
Ironically, many of these youth had a better opinion of themselves than their behavior would indicate. Despite these admissions, the majority of students reported high self-appraisals of their character (74 percent rated their own ethics higher than those of their peers) and stated their convictions that honesty, ethics and good character are very important. Almost all, 98 percent, said it is important to be a person of good character (Josephson Institute of Ethics survey, 2004: The Ethics of American Youth).
So while the majority of young people believe having "good character" is important, indicators show that their choices and their habits don't reflect the practices that produce good character.
Related Information on UCG Sites:
Sidebar: What Science Tells Us About Habits
Table of Contents that includes "The Power of Habits"
Other Articles by Doug Horchak
Habits: