@cryptogee,

You might be surprised by how close you are to becoming an advertising exec. :-)

The general theme of the post ... learn how to control your own brain ... is something I've studied for more than 20 years. I find it astonishing that so few people understand even the fundamentals ... you'd think everyone would be obsessed with the subject. Most aren't.

The human brain is actually fascinatingly/frighteningly easy to manipulate once you understand some core principals. While this may seem Machiavellian, one of the most potent takeaways I've come up with is "Don't Lie" (remember, I'm in advertising so this is harder than it sounds). :-)

Of all the things to understand about our brains, probably the most important is that it's all about patterns: Our brains are pattern-detection and pattern-comparison machines. And, of course, habits are patterns. If you start viewing the world through the lens of pattern-formation and pattern-breaking, a great deal of human belief and behavior will suddenly make sense.

History doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes.

... And a rhyme is a pattern.

Quill