Are there habits you’ve been told to avoid that could help you?
Are there habits you’ve been told to avoid that could help you? Why some “bad” habits are actually hidden features High-level framing Some habits you’ve been warned about aren’t defects—they’re tools no one showed you how to use. Procrastinating, daydreaming, saying “no,” switching tasks: they were labelled “bad” in systems that cared more about looking busy than thinking well. The better question isn’t “Is this bad?” but: When does this habit help, when does it hurt, and what boundary would make it useful? Seen that way, guilt turns into information. You can keep what serves you and cap what doesn’t. Most of your rules about “good behavior” were inherited—from family, school, early bosses. Those environments often reward predictability, stillness, and visible effort. But your mind doesn’t run like a factory line. Even when you look “distracted,” it may be connecting ideas, testing scenarios, or protecting your energy. Four “bad” habits with surprising ups...