My project is a meditation on my bad habit (nail biting) and bad habits in general. For my source I chose an article which discusses the potentially negative effects of some of the most common bad habits: smoking, overeating, and alcohol consumption. An interesting point this article makes is that people tend to justify their bad habits in a number of way. One way is by claiming that other people are doing it, so it can't be that bad. The other reason this article purposes is the use of personal anecdotes, such as, "My grandmother smoked her whole life, and she lived until she was 90." The article cites a study which showed that people ranked risky lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking, drinking, and sun tanning, as more dangerous than ozone depletion and chemical pollution. So it's not as if people are not aware of the risks that negative habitual behaviors pose.
I would like to take from this article some of the negative stereotypes around habitual behavior, specifically smoking. Also, I think mentioning statistics from a study could add some weight to my project, but at the same time, I think it could take away from the meditation style I'm going for.
http://www.livescience.com/1191-bad-habits-stop.html
I think that the statistics would be a great addition to your story! You may also be right in that they take away from the mediation style you are going for; however, an intentional interruption such as a statistic might be the “wake up call” that someone needs to stop his or her bad habit or the one thing that can get them out of their “bad” train of thought. Some people feel like they can’t escape their bad habits and this might be the “escape” that they need. A shocking statistic can, in some cases, be more powerful than someone’s justification.
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