The Traps Our Brain Sets for Us
“This time it’s really over.”
You didn’t start that diet on Monday, you were supposed to go to bed early and wake up early last night, you were going to leave that toxic relationship and build yourself a new life. But today, everything is the same again.
Sounds familiar?
Each of us makes decisions that seem logical to us. Yet, despite making these decisions, instead of following through and turning them into action, we end up repeating the same mistakes. We trust the same people, fall into the same traps, or come up with the same excuses. And the striking part is, we do this even though we are aware of it. So why do we keep making the same mistakes over and over again? Why do we keep turning in circles instead of breaking the cycle?
The Brain’s Comfort Zone and Behavioral Economics
At its core, our brain is a system focused on survival and conserving energy. Whatever we repeat again and again, the brain processes it automatically and turns these behaviors into habits. This allows it to carry less mental load and consume less energy.
People generally don’t choose the best option—they choose the easiest one. This is where the concept of behavioral economics comes into play. Research in this area shows that people often act not on what is most rational but on what feels right to them. Behind these mistakes lie not only emotions but also the shortcuts built into the system.
The brain simplifies complex structures and reinforces them until they are reduced to their most basic form. But the simpler decisions become, the more likely it is that individuals will make poor choices. Thus, behind wrong decisions are not just weak characters but also the brain’s cognitive shortcuts.
Think about how you prepare your coffee or tea every morning. Some people immediately make coffee as soon as they wake up, while others start only after they are fully physically ready. This becomes a habitual routine. And this is exactly what the brain wants: automated behavior patterns. Because the brain already knows this behavior or situation, it prefers to turn toward the familiar instead of learning something new.
The real problem is that the brain doesn’t only automate positive behaviors—it also automates negative ones. Staying up late and waking up late, substance or alcohol use, having the same arguments with the same person… automation happens without distinction. Over time, these behaviors fall into the brain’s comfort zone, and the brain continues down the road by centering what it already knows. The brain loves familiar paths. Sometimes, even a familiar mistake can feel safer to us than the unknown.
Neuroscientific Fact: Dopamine and the Behavior Cycle
From a neuroscientific perspective, the neurotransmitter called dopamine plays a key role in these automatic repetitions. Dopamine regulates the brain’s reward-punishment system.
For example, when you receive a like on your latest social media post or the message you’ve been waiting for finally arrives, dopamine is released. These little rewards gradually create what we call addiction. That means the brain is drawn to unrealistic rewards—even if they are harmful—and acts accordingly. Because here, the brain prioritizes not long-term happiness but short-term gratification.
Is It Possible to Break the Cycle?
Just like nothing is impossible, yes—it is possible to break this cycle. But seeing mistakes solely as a matter of weak willpower is misleading. Most of the time, it’s not about willpower but about awareness.
Neural connections work just like muscles. The more they are used, the stronger they become. Understanding how the brain works, knowing what the system consists of, is crucial in building awareness. Because the reasons behind an event and the time it occurs are all interconnected. This whole picture needs to be studied without breaking it apart.
We don’t need to fight against our own brain. But if we understand how it works, we can turn this battle into a collaboration.
For instance, let’s say you know the exact behavior that makes you stay up late. The next night, even if it’s just 15 minutes earlier, going to bed without repeating that behavior—and noting down where the mistake came from and what the consequences were—can be a step toward change.
By preventing habits like these, you can create opportunities for big changes with small steps. In this way, you can largely avoid the traps your brain sets.
Remember: what is familiar is not always what is right. And this applies to every aspect of life.