Chain of behavior
A behavior chain is a sequence of stimuli, thoughts, emotions, body reactions and actions leading to a specific behavior.
Definition
Chain analysis helps you see that behavior doesn't usually appear out of nowhere. It has earlier links: susceptibility, trigger, interpretation, impulse, action and consequence. This allows you to find a place where you can interrupt the automatic flow.
Key ideas
- Sequence of events
- Breakpoints
- Behavior function
Practice and life
After difficult behavior, play the chain backwards: what did I do, what happened just before, what did I feel, what did I think, what weakened me?
Common misconceptions
It is a mistake to analyze behavior only as a lack of willpower. It is also a mistake to ignore consequences that can strengthen the pattern.
> No reaction falls from the sky, but is the final element of a sequence of events.
> — Guru Element
Questions for self-reflection
- What was the first link in the chain?
- Where can I insert a different reaction?
- What did the behavior do for me in the short term?