First, it is wired to conserve energy. When the brain detects repetition, it builds automated shortcut circuits-habits-that allow us to act with minimal effort or conscious thought. Once a habit forms, it is stored in a more automatic part of the brain. A simple trigger can then launch an entire behavioral sequence with very little energy-much like clicking a shortcut on a computer. This is not a flaw. It is an extraordinary efficiency feature.
Every day, most of us are faced with decisions to make about what to eat, how much, and when. Some research puts the number of food decisions we make daily at about 220. Sounds exhausting, right? Perhaps Roy Baumeister, known for his research on willpower, has a point when he says it can get depleted if we make too many decisions. Many of us end up throwing in the towel and making an impulsive choice.
In the 1960s and 70s, researchers showed that while people's actions are heavily influenced by the context around them, we tend to explain behavior by focusing on internal traits. This tendency, for example, to say someone was rude because they are a rude person, rather than because they were in a stressful situation, is called the Fundamental Attribution Error. We pay less attention to the context and attribute behavior to the content of a person's character.