The Cycle of Behavior

  Humans interact with the world through their senses and learn from watching other people and this affects their personal behavior. As children, we learn mainly from watching our parents living under the same roof. We also learn from watching teachers and peers through the school curriculum. All these factors affect our behavior as individuals and on a larger scale as a society.

  My thesis is objective of individuals and society. Behavior goes through cycles.

  For example, 50 years ago smoking was considered “cool” or “hip” as seen in movies by larger than life movie stars and unmarried couples living together was considered a sin. Presently the same acts are considered in the exact opposite way.   Smoking is banned indoors in numerous places with propositions passed in most states to outlaw it and unmarried couples living together is considered “cool” or the “norm.”

  Individual and societal behavior is fickle minded, can change rapidly, and is a cycle.

  There is a gradual increase with people as they acknowledge something. Given that this thesis is a cycle, let’s start with intolerance about something (eg: drinking, smoking). The first stage is intolerance, people who are intolerant of drinking will have children go the next stage and become tolerant of it. As they become tolerant of it their next stage is acceptance. They don’t just tolerate others drinking they become accepting and start drinking themselves. Once they start drinking it then becomes a practice. After drinking is a practice it then becomes habitual. This habit turns into a linchpin when the next generation becomes intolerant. Alcoholic parents or relatives will make their kids become intolerant of alcohol. An example is Donald Trump who doesn’t drink alcohol because his brother was an alcoholic.

  The linchpin of this thesis is that the habit becomes a cycle when it leads to intolerance. The behavioral stages go through in this particular order and sometimes skip stages. This cycle can be applied to many fields. This applies not just to individuals, but also to behavior of society. As a society people collectively might be initially intolerant of an idea or some thing in particular and then it goes through the different stages until it becomes a cycle. But in society it normalizes until all stages are represented by some percentage of people.

  This cycle existed not just in present times but even in ancient times and the society stayed cohesive or tore the society apart.

Intolerance

  The initial reaction to any new idea is to say “No.” As humans we are cautious of something that is new, different, or unheard of. We reject other opinions or ideas. Even if it’s a new idea we are hesitant to it. We do not tolerate even others doing it.

Tolerance

  This stage is when we are past the intolerant stage and will tolerate the idea or something new or different in existence. Even if we do not do the behavior, we tolerate others doing it.

Acceptance

  This stage is accepting of the new or different behavior. We not only tolerate others doing it but we also dabble in doing it ourselves occasionally. This behavior is “normal” according to us.

Practice

  This stage is the behavior or act is slowly incorporated into a part of life. We go beyond the occasional behavior and make it a practice of doing something. This behavior is not a regular part of life but leading to being one.

Habit

  This stage is when the initially new or different idea or behavior is being done regularly. It becomes part of daily, weekly, or monthly routine. This behavior is not something that we go out of the way to do or done once in a while but something that is done as part of living.

  In conclusion, these stages are a cycle and do not necessarily go only in a linear fashion. One stage leads to another and to another until it goes back to the original stage and the cycle continues.