Jun 30, 2026 · 24 min · 10 segments
You’ve probably heard that “it takes 21 days to form a new habit” and that consistency is everything. But what if the secret to success isn't building habits, but breaking them? Welcome to another…
Yeah, usually just undergrads in a lab somewhere.
Right, exactly.
But this research tracked 80,000 people, and that is across 12 different countries for two entire years.
Which gives us a data set that is, frankly, practically unheard of in this field.
Our mission for this deep dive is to take that massive mountain of data and use it to completely dismantle two very deeply ingrained societal myths.
Two very big ones.
Yeah, first, that idea that it takes 21 days to form a habit, which is a phrase you have likely had drilled into your head your entire life.
And second, this pervasive idea that smart people are creatures of habit.
We are going to explore why the highest form of intelligence is actually the exact opposite.
It really is.
It is about your ability to unlearn.
Which is so fascinating because we operate under this enormous societal pressure to maintain good habits.
Yeah.
We are constantly told that consistency is the ultimate virtue.
Oh, absolutely.
Grit and repetition.
Exactly.
Those are the keys to a successful life.
Yeah.
They found that clinging to your routines, even the supposedly healthy, productive ones, might actually be a biological indicator of lower cognitive flexibility.
Yeah, usually just undergrads in a lab somewhere.
Right, exactly.
But this research tracked 80,000 people, and that is across 12 different countries for two entire years.
Which gives us a data set that is, frankly, practically unheard of in this field.
Our mission for this deep dive is to take that massive mountain of data and use it to completely dismantle two very deeply ingrained societal myths.
Two very big ones.
Yeah, first, that idea that it takes 21 days to form a habit, which is a phrase you have likely had drilled into your head your entire life.
And second, this pervasive idea that smart people are creatures of habit.
We are going to explore why the highest form of intelligence is actually the exact opposite.
It really is.
It is about your ability to unlearn.
Which is so fascinating because we operate under this enormous societal pressure to maintain good habits.
Yeah.
We are constantly told that consistency is the ultimate virtue.
Oh, absolutely.
Grit and repetition.
Exactly.
Those are the keys to a successful life.
Yeah.
They found that clinging to your routines, even the supposedly healthy, productive ones, might actually be a biological indicator of lower cognitive flexibility.
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