"Nature has placed mankind under the governance of two sovereign masters, pain and pleasure." — Jeremy Bentham
To get yourself to do something:
- Make the pain of inaction greater than the pain of doing the
thing.
- Make the pleasure of action greater than the pleasure of inaction.
Pain avoidance is the stronger of the two forces.
To take advantage of this innate tendency, consider future costs—the price of not taking action, the cost of succumbing to short-term pleasure.
It's easier to pass on a donut when weighed against the price of health deterioration. It's easier to live within your means and save when weighed against the struggle of retiring on a government subsidy.
Negativity bias and pain avoidance can be your springboard into positive action.
