Indeed, triggers are one of the elements that play a crucial role in habit formation. The other two elements often associated with habits are routines (the actions or behaviours themselves) and rewards (the satisfaction or positive outcomes resulting from those actions). These three components collectively form the habit loop, as described in Charles Duhigg's book "The Power of Habit,” a popular [[Productivity]] book. ### **The Interplay of Social Habitus and Emotional Foundations in Human Behaviour** Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of **habitus** and [[Antonio Damasio]]’s ideas about the **neurobiological basis of behaviour** both explore how human behaviour is shaped by internalised patterns, but from complementary perspectives—Bourdieu focuses on the sociological, while Damasio explores the neurological and emotional foundations. Together, they provide a rich understanding of how human behaviour emerges from the interaction between social structures and biological processes. #### **Bourdieu’s Habitus and Human Behaviour** ##### 1. **Habitus as Internalised Social Structures**: • Habitus is a system of deeply ingrained dispositions and behaviours formed by past experiences, particularly during early socialisation. These dispositions are shaped by an individual’s social environment and position within society. • It functions largely unconsciously, guiding behaviour in ways that align with the norms and expectations of one’s social context. • Example: A person’s taste in art, language use, or professional ambition is often a reflection of the class they were raised in, even if they are unaware of this influence. ##### 2. **Habitus and Predictability**: • While habitus leads to predictable behaviours within a given social context, it is not entirely deterministic. Individuals can adapt their behaviours when they encounter new social “fields,” though this depends on their access to various forms of capital. ##### 3. **Emotional Resonance of Habitus**: • Habitus is embodied, meaning it’s not just about intellectual knowledge but also physical, emotional, and intuitive responses. This embodiment aligns well with Damasio’s emphasis on how emotions and bodily states guide behaviour. #### **Damasio’s Insights on Human Behaviour** ##### 1. **Emotion as a Basis for Decision-Making**: • In _Descartes’ Error_, Damasio argues that emotions and bodily sensations are integral to decision-making and behaviour. He introduces the concept of **[[Somatic]] markers**, which are emotional responses stored in the body that guide individuals when making decisions. • These markers create a feedback loop between past experiences and present choices, shaping behaviour in ways that are often unconscious. ##### 2. **The Role of Social Context**: • Damasio acknowledges that emotions and decision-making are influenced not only by biological processes but also by social interactions and contexts, making his work compatible with Bourdieu’s focus on external social structures. ##### 3. **Embodiment and Habit Formation**: • Just as habitus involves the internalisation of social norms into bodily dispositions, Damasio’s work shows that emotions and bodily states are critical in reinforcing habits and behavioural patterns. #### **Integrating Bourdieu and Damasio** 1. **Behaviour as Socially and Biologically Rooted**: • Bourdieu explains how societal structures and early socialisation shape behaviour through habitus. Damasio provides the physiological explanation for how these patterns become ingrained, via emotions and somatic markers. • Example: A working-class individual may instinctively feel discomfort in elite settings (Bourdieu’s habitus), a reaction tied to both their social background and emotional markers (Damasio’s somatic markers). 2. **Resistance to Change**: • Both theories explain why behavioural patterns can be resistant to change. Habitus, as a product of lifelong socialisation, becomes second nature. Similarly, somatic markers create a “shortcut” for decision-making, reinforcing established behaviours. 3. **Behavioural Flexibility**: • While both emphasise the durability of patterns, they allow for change. For Bourdieu, habitus evolves when individuals encounter new fields with different norms. For Damasio, new emotional experiences can form new somatic markers, altering decision-making processes. 4. **Practical Implications**: • Understanding habitus alongside somatic markers can illuminate why interventions to change behaviour (e.g., education, therapy) must address both the social context and emotional/embodied experiences of individuals. **Conclusion** By combining Bourdieu and Damasio’s insights, human behaviour can be seen as the product of an interplay between socially acquired dispositions and biologically embedded emotional processes. While Bourdieu emphasises the influence of social structures, Damasio highlights the role of bodily and emotional feedback, offering a holistic view of how behaviours are formed, sustained, and potentially transformed.