Inertia and Conservatism

 Many people find the easiest course of action is just to do what they did yesterday. Doing something different has downsides:

• it may mean breaking a habit. My wife and I joke about my driving on autopilot. If it's Friday I turn right, turn right, turn right, then turn left and we're at the glass recycle place. Varying the pattern means a conscious effort to decide to make a different turn.
• it may require a decision, and the decision may require researching an issue and getting information.
• it may mean risks, unknown risks. Doing what you do you're very familiar with the risks you run, and you're comfortable with them.  Doing something different means you're less familiar with the risks, which can mean you become nervous and tense, not something one likes.
• there may be unintended consequences.

So one part of conservatism is just an extrapolation of our habits.

The Limits on Websites

I remember when everyone but everyone was going to be on the web.  I thought that, at least for a while.  But then I started becoming skeptical. Partly this was from my experience with FSA--some of my bright ideas flopped, didn't gain the user acceptance that they needed.  Then I became conscious of the feedback loop: if you build it and the users don't come, you won't maintain.  And finally of the culture problem.

A case study: I buy things at the Merrifield Garden Center and the Home Depot.  Both have websites; HD's is better than Merrifield because you can order online for home delivery or pickup at the store. But unlike Safeway, where I also shop, neither site has a Covid-19 page/announcement when you login. 

It's an indication that for the managers involved, thinking early on of their web presence is yet to become a habit.

A Tale of Two Photos

Two photos in the Post told a tale. 

1. One was a picture with an article on Gov. Guomo, lauding his leadership.  It showed him at a briefing, seated at a long table with another official about 10 feet away from him.
2. The other was a picture of the vice president walking to the president's briefing with the members of the taskforce walking at his side, no one more than feet away.

Of course my interest was triggered by the contrast between Dems and Reps in observing social distancing.  On reflection, my initial reaction was unfair--people keep to old habits until they consciously override them.

Habits and Back Pain

Interesting piece here on what our health dollars are spent on.

" The three most expensive diseases in 2013: diabetes ($101 billion), the most common form of heart disease ($88 billion) and back and neck pain ($88 billion)."

"only about 4 percent of spending on low back and neck pain was on pharmaceuticals. Generally, more spending is done on elderly people, but about 70 percent of the spending on low back and neck pain was on working-age adults"

Several years ago I was having low back pain.  Finally mentioned it to my doctor who gave me an exercise routine which takes 15 minutes a day.  No more back pain.  I wonder how much of the pain people suffer could be avoided with similar routines: 10 percent maybe? That's a bunch of money.

It requires access to doctors, establishing habits, and perseverance. 

At Last Confirmation That Change Is Bad

As someone who runs on autopilot through much of my life, I welcome this scholarly proof that it's the best way to be productive.

As they used to say: develop good habits.