Bad habits, on the other hand, are simply bugs in the system that can be deprogrammed with a few dedicated techniques. Because our brains operate on a trigger and reward basis—the so-called "habit loop"—it is simple to get into a pattern and tough to fight back when undesirable behavior happens. However, with knowledge of the brain's mechanism of action, some dedication and practice, any one of us can change old behaviors and form new ones. The first thing you need to understand about why habits exist is that they are properties of the brain. Our brains are very efficient instruments for processing information, so they make use of this ability by creating patterns that allow for quick decisions to be made about what to do next. This is how we survive: if we didn't have habits, our lives would be unmanageable because every decision would have to be made consciously instead of automatically. The problem is that these patterns are hard to break once they're established. Habits arise from a series of events called "priming" in which the presence of a stimulus triggers an associated response. For example, if you eat chocolate chip cookies every time you watch "Friends," then you will likely also watch "Friends" whenever you smell or see chocolate chip cookies. Priming occurs because neurons in your brain respond both to the cookie and to the television show; when they come together at a high frequency, they create a new habit.