Nir Eyal

A ping, ding, a ring. They think that's the cause. But it turns out that's only 10%. When we look at how many times people check times a day that people check their phones, only 10% of the time that they look at their screen is Is it because of an external trigger? The other 90% of the time that we check our devices, it's because of what's called an internal trigger.

A ping, ding, a ring. They think that's the cause. But it turns out that's only 10%. When we look at how many times people check times a day that people check their phones, only 10% of the time that they look at their screen is Is it because of an external trigger? The other 90% of the time that we check our devices, it's because of what's called an internal trigger.

Internal triggers are these uncomfortable emotional states, boredom, insecurity, loneliness, fatigue, uncertainty, anxiety, these uncomfortable sensations that we seek to escape. And so what I discovered is that all distractions, no matter the format, are not a moral failing. It's not a character flaw. The vast majority of people don't have anything wrong with their brains.

Internal triggers are these uncomfortable emotional states, boredom, insecurity, loneliness, fatigue, uncertainty, anxiety, these uncomfortable sensations that we seek to escape. And so what I discovered is that all distractions, no matter the format, are not a moral failing. It's not a character flaw. The vast majority of people don't have anything wrong with their brains.

Internal triggers are these uncomfortable emotional states, boredom, insecurity, loneliness, fatigue, uncertainty, anxiety, these uncomfortable sensations that we seek to escape. And so what I discovered is that all distractions, no matter the format, are not a moral failing. It's not a character flaw. The vast majority of people don't have anything wrong with their brains.

It's simply that we haven't learned this skill of dealing with emotional discomfort in a healthy way that leads us towards traction rather than trying to escape it with distraction.

It's simply that we haven't learned this skill of dealing with emotional discomfort in a healthy way that leads us towards traction rather than trying to escape it with distraction.

It's simply that we haven't learned this skill of dealing with emotional discomfort in a healthy way that leads us towards traction rather than trying to escape it with distraction.

Yeah, that's a great question. And I think it's a point that I think was lost on me for a long time because I bought into this paradigm that I think most people believe in of that human motivation is all about carrots and sticks. And Jeremy Bentham said something like this. Sigmund Freud said something like this. So we've had this idea of carrots and sticks in our vernacular for a long time.

Yeah, that's a great question. And I think it's a point that I think was lost on me for a long time because I bought into this paradigm that I think most people believe in of that human motivation is all about carrots and sticks. And Jeremy Bentham said something like this. Sigmund Freud said something like this. So we've had this idea of carrots and sticks in our vernacular for a long time.

Yeah, that's a great question. And I think it's a point that I think was lost on me for a long time because I bought into this paradigm that I think most people believe in of that human motivation is all about carrots and sticks. And Jeremy Bentham said something like this. Sigmund Freud said something like this. So we've had this idea of carrots and sticks in our vernacular for a long time.

And it turns out that neurologically, this is not how the brain works. The brain is not motivated by carrots and sticks. It's not about pleasure and pain. It's all about one thing. And that one thing is the desire to escape discomfort. That even wanting to feel good, seeking that reward is itself psychologically destabilizing.

And it turns out that neurologically, this is not how the brain works. The brain is not motivated by carrots and sticks. It's not about pleasure and pain. It's all about one thing. And that one thing is the desire to escape discomfort. That even wanting to feel good, seeking that reward is itself psychologically destabilizing.

And it turns out that neurologically, this is not how the brain works. The brain is not motivated by carrots and sticks. It's not about pleasure and pain. It's all about one thing. And that one thing is the desire to escape discomfort. That even wanting to feel good, seeking that reward is itself psychologically destabilizing.

So if all human behavior, all human behavior is motivated by the desire to escape discomfort, that means quite simply that time management is pain management. That money management is pain management. That weight management at the end of the day is pain management.

So if all human behavior, all human behavior is motivated by the desire to escape discomfort, that means quite simply that time management is pain management. That money management is pain management. That weight management at the end of the day is pain management.

So if all human behavior, all human behavior is motivated by the desire to escape discomfort, that means quite simply that time management is pain management. That money management is pain management. That weight management at the end of the day is pain management.

Once I realized that, I think that was incredibly empowering because now I wasn't confusing myself with blaming the things that weren't the real culprits, right? Of course, the phone in your hand plays a role. The food in your other hand plays a role. The cigarette between your fingertips, that plays a role. It all plays a role, but that's not the root cause of the problem.

Once I realized that, I think that was incredibly empowering because now I wasn't confusing myself with blaming the things that weren't the real culprits, right? Of course, the phone in your hand plays a role. The food in your other hand plays a role. The cigarette between your fingertips, that plays a role. It all plays a role, but that's not the root cause of the problem.

Once I realized that, I think that was incredibly empowering because now I wasn't confusing myself with blaming the things that weren't the real culprits, right? Of course, the phone in your hand plays a role. The food in your other hand plays a role. The cigarette between your fingertips, that plays a role. It all plays a role, but that's not the root cause of the problem.