Curious Habits

A curious habit is helpful... until it's not.Attention to detail is great – perfectionism is a curious habit.Chocolate is awesome – using it to treat anxiety is a curious habit.Honest self-awareness is admirable – constantly beating yourself up is a curious habit.We have habits for a reason, we repeat things that feel good and move away from the stuff we don't like. Our habits solve a problem and make life easier. Unfortunately, our habits can turn on us. This book teaches us how to use curiosity as a superpower. It takes the blame and shame out of habit change so that we make the change not because we HAVE to, but because we WANT to.Drawing from the collective wisdom of evolutionary biology, neuroscience, Stoic philosophy and even Instagram, leading mindset coach Luke Mathers helps us embrace the power of curiosity to recognise when habits start to impact negatively our health and happiness. Curious Habits offers an entertaining, thought-provoking and non-judgmental exploration into why we do the things we do, and how to reset for a healthier, happier and more fulfilling life.

The Curious Habits of Man shares an amusing glimpse at life as one man contemplates many of our greatest--and smallest--questions. In this collection of essays the author tackles hundreds of life's questions while exploring a vast array of subjects -- from tubas to two-year-olds, from field goals to child labor laws, and from high school shop class to the worst round of golf ever played. With an ascerbic wit and an honest approach, Swain shares his perspective on such pivotal matters as how to ski without losing a limb or your self-esteem, how to correctly prepare and consume lobster according to Maine standards, and whether marketing ploys hypnotically convince consumers to replace perfectly functioning items without a second thought.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1866.

Born Catholic. Raised Catholic. Americans across generations have used these phrases to describe their formative days, but the experience of growing up Catholic in the United States has changed over the last several decades. While the creed and the sacraments remain the same, the context for learning the faith has transformed. As a result of demographic shifts and theological developments, children face a different set of circumstances today from what they encountered during the mid-twentieth-century. Through a close study of autobiographical and fictional texts that depict the experience, Ingrained Habits explores the intimate details of everyday life for children growing up Catholic during the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. These literary portrayals present upbringings characterized by an all-encompassing encounter with religion. The adult authors of such writings run the gamut from vowed priests to unwavering atheists and their depictions range from glowing nostalgia to deep-seated resentment; however, they curiously describe similar experiences from their childhood days in the Church.