We all have a few bad habits. Fortunately for you (and the rest of the human race), it's only partially your fault.
Your brain works in mysterious ways, and not always to your advantage. In fact, it's really good at producing special "biases" that make all those terrible habits of yours such a problem.
See also: Can Smartphone Apps Break Your Bad Habits?
We can't help you with your inability to put the toilet seat down or the fact that you somehow still smoke (seriously, quit already!), but here's how to explain some other bad habits the next time someone gets annoyed.
Do you tend to be a bit of a know-it-all or pushy when it comes to the things you like? Do you always stick up for your favorite sports team, or argue that Apple really makes the superior smartphone? if you're the type to get angry or defensive when someone disses something you love, your brain's to blame.
There's actually a reason you feel the need to so adamantly defend your favorite things; it's called choice-supportive bias, and it leads you to believe that the things you choose to support — whether it's a football team or your decision to quit your job — are the best. That's because you support them, and you subconsciously want to believe that you're smart enough to always make the right decision. Once you make a decision, it becomes a part of your identity.
Bottom Line: Sometimes you're stubborn because you support something that has become a part of you.

Image: Flickr, Clint Gardner
Your boss has heard it all: Traffic was awful. You were helping an old lady across the street. You're actually a superhero and the city needed saving from sudden peril. Yeah, yeah, sure.
If you can't seem to get out the door on time, no matter what you do to speed up your morning ritual, you may want to start blaming that thinker of yours. Time-saving bias is a little trick your brain uses to comfort you when you're running late, and it's most commonly linked to speeding.
Here's how it works: Your brain tells you that you can make up for lost time (or save time) by getting to work faster. It even helps you figure out an amount of time you can save if you, say, drive 10 mph faster than you normally would, or jog to the subway instead of walking.
That estimation of time your brain helps you calculate usually isn't perfect, though, and that's where your procrastination plans run awry. So when you tell yourself that you can make it to work 10 minutes faster, you give yourself permission to slow down a little more, thus wasting more time than usual.
Bottom Line: Just set your alarm clock 10 minutes earlier, OK? Save yourself the speeding ticket.
Ah, procrastination — the most treacherous of friends. Sure, it feels great not to worry about that paper you have to write for just a little while longer... but what about later? We've all fallen down the rabbit hole of putting something off until it becomes a huge issue, but — you guessed it — it's your brain's fault.
Your brain just wants to make everything nice and pleasant for you, so it employs the Pollyanna bias, which basically fills you with rainbows and sunshine until you just can't take it anymore.
It's because of this little Jedi mind trick that you would rather play video games then finally wash that laundry you've been putting off for weeks, or you put off paying your electricity bill until the very last day it's due. Your brain focuses on avoiding the unpleasant in favor of something more enjoyable, until you're forced to deal with it.
The Pollyanna bias also helps to defend our bad actions to others, and it may be why you don't really feel sorry for that bad thing you did, and therefore don't feel very inclined to resolve it until it becomes a bigger issue.
Bottom Line: It's going to suck later even more than it sucks now. Just get it done, Pollyanna.

Image: Flickr, Images Money
We all enjoy a good bet every now and then, and even if we know the odds are slim, we don't mind laying down a few bucks for the occasional scratch-off ticket either.
Not a gambler? Well, think about this: If you flip a coin 10 times and it lands heads-up every time, which way do you think it'll land on the 11th toss? If you're making a prediction based off the coin's previous behavior, your brain has bested you again. It still has a 50/50 shot of landing either way, no matter what occurred before.
The positive expectation bias, a usual suspect when it comes to gambling expectations, tricks us into thinking that our next hand, coin toss or relationship will be better than the last, because we assume luck has to swing in our direction eventually.
Bottom Line: In relationships, stay positive. This guy could be "the one." At the poker table? Know when to fold 'em, buddy.
Admission is the first step, right? You have an issue, you've acknowledged it and now you can fix it, right?
Wrong. Your brain doesn't want to help you with any of the problems it's created for you, and here's why: To your brain, the "you" of tomorrow is a completely different person. And as far as your brain is concerned, the consequences of that stranger's bad habits are his or her problem.
Your brain is split into a series of compartments, each of which light up with activity when you use them. So, when your brain thinks of you, one part lights up, and when your brain thinks of other people, a different part lights up. Here's where it gets weird. When your brain thinks of your future self, the part of the brain dedicated to thinking of other people lights up, not the part dedicated to thinking of you.
Bottom Line: Your brain is lying to you. Ditch the cigs, because you're going to be the one dealing with the lung cancer, not someone else.
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