Loophole #2 - Do you fall into this category when trying to form a new habit?

When we’re trying to form and keep habits, we often search, sometimes unconsciously, for loopholes. We look for justifications that will excuse us from keeping this particular habit in this particular situation. However, if we recognize this behavior and catch ourselves in the act of loophole-seeking, we can avoid using the loophole, and improve our chances of keeping the habit.

There are many kinds of loopholes. Ten kinds, in fact. So to continue our series, every few days we will be posting about a category of loophole, to help with the Strategy of Loophole-Spotting. If you’ve missed some categories, take a look back at our previous posts!

Loophole Category #2: Moral Licensing

In moral licensing, we give ourselves permission to do something “bad” (eat potato chips, bust the budget) because we’ve been “good.” We reason that we’ve earned it or deserve it, or that some “good” behavior has offset something “bad.”

·         After the day I had, I’ve earned a nice glass of wine.

·         I’ve been losing weight steadily on this diet, so it will be okay for me to cut a few corners.

·         I’ve been so diligent about meditating, I deserve a day off.

·         I haven’t had Girl Scout cookies in years, so I should be able to have some now.

·         After all I do for others, I’m entitled to a little treat for myself.

·         I didn’t have a first course so I can have dessert. (Skipping a small green salad justifies a giant piece of cheesecake.)

·         I’ve ordered a big salad of organic fruit with my pancakes, so my meal is healthy. (This is an example of the “health halo.”)

In a particularly popular yet counter-productive variation of moral licensing, people who want to lose weight use exercise to justify eating or drinking. “I went running today, so I’ve earned a few beers.” The fact is, research shows that while exercise is very important for good health, exercise doesn’t help with weight loss; weight loss is driven by changes in diet.

Sometimes, in fact, we don’t even wait to earn or deserve something “bad”; we argue that we’re entitled to be “bad” now because we plan to be “good” in the future.

Reference: “Which of These 10 Categories of Loopholes Do You Invoke?” by Gretchen Rubin, February 5, 2014.