- Get wet (Ben, stop smirking)
- Shampoo hair
- Rinse shampoo off
- Put conditioner on hair
- Wash body
- Wash face
- Rinse conditioner off
On a similar topic, driving. I've only been driving for 6 months (well, I passed six months ago. I was learning on and off for 6 months before that, so a year in total) and yet already, most of the time when I drive, I drive on autopilot. Occasionally, though, I still go to change gear, and pause with the gearstick in neutral, going "Shit! Which gear do I need to be in? Which gear was I in?!" because my mind's gone completely blank. Of course, it only takes a second to look around me and at my speedometer and make a logical decision as to what gear I should be in. This one would be easy to explain away as being a result of a relatively new (and perhaps absolutely shite!) driver, save for the fact that in the past week I have witnessed both of my parents doing the same thing, and they've both been driving for 30+ years. My dad, I suppose, doesn't drive a manual often, so perhaps the auto-pilot part of his brain can be excused for similar reasons to mine, but my mum drives her car just as much as I do. And she has years of experience. And yet we still get 'blips' in the auto-pilot 'programming'.
We rely on these habits and auto-pilot functions so much. Pouring a drink, you don't think "get glass...unscrew top...pour...screw top back on...put back in fridge" or anything, and yet you do it perfectly. (Having said that, I got the wine bottle out of the fridge last night, then got a tumbler from the cupboard. Looked at both, and thought "....er...that's not right...". Must drink wine more often!)
Another facet to my ponderings on the topic of habit is the concept of universal habits. I was discussing with le boy the other day how absolutely everyone puts condoms, other sex-related-paraphenalia, and indeed all 'personal' items in their top drawer, preferably by their bed, but yeah...always in the top drawer. And then we realised that this is because it is the underwear drawer. And then that led to the realisation that everyone puts their underwear in the top drawer. And then tshirts etc in the next one. After that it gets a bit hazy, with jumpers, trousers, sport-specific items etc in the other drawers, but I don't know of anyone who puts their underwear in a drawer other than the top one! Who teaches us these things? Is this what mothers are taught at ante-natal classes...rather than "how to change a nappy" and "when to wean your child"...they teach "clothing-in-drawer-arrangement 101"?!
Habits are very strong. I cook in much the same way as my mum does. I fold clothes the same. I drink similar drinks to my friends. So perhaps all these things are pure social conditioning. Thoughts?
6 comments:
*nods* :-)
Habits are hard to shake. I rushed into my university kitchen at one point during exams panicking that "Oh God, the gas is still on!" (- my university-home cooker is electric) and back at home-home, I turned a ring off by mistake when aiming for the grill because the knobs are the other way round.
I think I've developed one set of habits for at university and another for at home, in the main, because my two lifestyles are so completely different. Social conditioning, yes, and probably part of what defines a given culture.
But yes, I do also keep my underwear in the top drawer, have to feel for the gearstick even when the engine's telling me that I must be in third, and when I'm getting socks on, I always do the left foot before the right for some reason. I only noticed this latter on being given some (very cool) intentionally odd socks - makes me wonder what else I have picked up without realising!
My boxers and socks as a rule live in the second draw down. top draw is always used for electronics. dont ask why. and NO clauire i dont mean that sort of electronics....and yes i did smirk at the begining of the blog
Habits, they help makes us what they are but sometimes they're annoying.
I have this habit where I have to straighten the towel out on the rail and makes sure the dry side is facing out. It's a weird thing I've been doing since I can remember.
I'm scared about the driving thing. I'm getting a car soon and I've not driven nearly 3 years to the day. I've found myself thinking about it just before I go to bed at night and suddenly panicking that I've forgotten how to drive!
I think it's part nature, part nuture. Yes, that old chestnut :oP
Hannah, I bet within minutes you will be driving like you'd never stopped!
At uni, I kept my underwear in the bottom drawer, I only had two drawers though - the top drawer had tops in.
Haha, the tumbler/wine incident wouldn't have surprised me, coming from a studentland where it's normal to drink wine out of disposable plastic cups. Classy. :S
My underwear lives in the second drawer down as well, with my socks.
I seem to remember something about the brain organising things in 'steps', and running through them in sequence. Sometimes you miss a step, others you repeat one. I generally find the latter happens to me more often - flushing the toilet twice, going to turn to oven on before finding I've done it already.
Interesting how the brain works.
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