Bad Habits: The Psychology of Behavioural Debt—and How to Pay It Off

What if the person you think you are is an outdated idea? In this episode, we explore how habits form—not from logic, but from history. From childhood rules to adult rituals, your behaviours aren’t just choices. They’re echoes. We look at behavioural debt: how the past continues to extract payments from your present and what you can do about it. We look expansively at different ways we pick up all these habits and identities, and then use 5 ideas from psychology and philosophy to fix them. There’s a monk shedding illusions, a writer who redefined his identity, and a cycling team that changed everything with 1% improvements. These aren’t just stories. They’re invitations—to become intentional, to design rituals that serve who you want to be, not who you used to be. Takeaways: Reframe your identity as something you craft, not inherit Use “identity microshifts” to pay off your behavioural debt Hack your own Fresh Start Effect—even on a random Tuesday Learn how to become yourself through subtraction instead of adding more things If you’ve ever felt like your habits were someone else’s or like your current actions no longer serve who you are, this episode will make a lot of sense to you. The real work isn’t in learning more—it’s in unlearning what no longer fits. How to Change the World Sam's new show can be found on major podcast players: Spotify - ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/1Fj3eFjEoAEKF5lWQxPJyT⁠⁠ Apple - ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-change-the-world-the-history-of-innovation/id1815282649⁠⁠ YouTube - ⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@HowToChangeTheWorldPodcast⁠⁠ Can't find it on your player? This is the RSS feed - ⁠⁠https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/682b3b86696b5d1232d698a8⁠⁠ AD-FREE with ⁠Premium⁠: 🤘 Support the show 🔓 Exclusive AMAs + Bonus content 💬 Community Discord ⁠GrowthMindset.Supercast.com⁠ Get in Touch 👋 Free Call - Schedule Link - https://cal.com/samwebster/mindset 📧 Email - GrowthMindsetPodcast (@) gmail,com Growth Mindset Psychology: Sam Webster explores the psychology of happiness, satisfaction, purpose, and growth through the lens of self-improvement. 📺 Watch - YouTube (Growth Mindset) 🛜 Website - Growth Mindset Show: Growth Mindset, psychology of self-improvement Episode: Bad Habits: The Psychology of Behavioural Debt—and How to Pay It Off Chapters: 00:00 What makes you, you? 02:52 Memory and the self 04:20 British Accents and lessons of children 05:58 Attachment and behaviour 07:58 Small Actions Compound 09:36 Advert - Magic Mind 09:38 Opening our minds 11:01 Every story has a villain 14:24 Path Dependence: The Continuity Trap 16:21 Self Schema Theory: The Stories We Tell Ourselves 17:52 Neuroplasticity - Hebb's Law and rewiring brain connections 19:56 Friedrich Nietzsche and becoming who you are 21:27 Psychological Rebirth: The Fresh Start Effect 23:20 Conclusion - Paying of behavioural debt 24:36 Feedback 25:07 Send Off Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Om Podcasten

Most self-help advice is guesswork dressed up as wisdom. We dig into psychology, neuroscience, and behavioral science to find what actually changes lives. WHY LISTEN? Over 8 million downloads because we answer the questions that matter: How do I build mental strength? What creates lasting motivation? How can I understand my own mind well enough to work with it, not against it? This podcast is for curious skeptics who want frameworks backed by psychology studies, not Instagram quotes. Whether you're navigating procrastination, building self-discipline, or designing your own philosophy for a life well lived—we explore the hidden psychology behind real change. WHAT YOU'LL GET Mental models and simple techniques from cognitive psychology, positive psychology, and ancient wisdom traditions like Stoicism and Buddhism. Being a human can be confusing, learning about it doesn’t have to be. We cover everything from emotional intelligence and habit formation to brain health and the nervous system. WHAT YOU DON’T GET No pseudoscience. No oversimplified "hacks." No hustle porn. Just practical insights on mindset improvement, self-development, and human psychology that respect your intelligence and mental health. THE APPROACH Instead of telling you what to think, we explore how thinking works. Armed with psychology studies, social science research, and relentless curiosity, we uncover the mechanics of belief change, attitude change, and personal development. Success is personal. You might want to leverage your neurodiverse strengths, build a business, or simply discover how to be happier. We provide the mental frameworks to pursue your definition of success with mental strength and self-care that fits your life. YOUR HOST I'm Sam Webster Harris—a lifelong learner with ADHD and an obsession with finding answers to hard questions. After launching businesses, traveling the world, and nearly dying a few times, I concluded that psychology and science are where real wisdom lives. This show is my excuse to dive deep into health and fitness research, behavioral psychology, and cool science while helping you build genuine self-discipline and motivation. PREMIUM Go ad-free and access exclusive content, AMAs, and our community Discord. Growth Mindset Premium PAST SERIES Previous guests include Olympians, Scientists, Billionaires, and Sam's Mum. Past series: — Psychology vs Stoicism — Time Management for Busy Mortals — Independence and Knowing Yourself — Cognitive Biases and Rational Thinking — Psychology of Connection and Relationships — Carol Dweck and the Multiverse of Mindsets — Addiction and Behaviour Change — Nervous System Mastery and Polyvagal Theory — Mental Strength and Self-Discipline