Some habits refuse to die because the craving underneath them is still alive. This chapter offers a rule: keep the cue, keep the reward, and change the routine.
That sounds simple, but it forces honesty. If you snack every afternoon, what reward are you chasing—taste, a break, company, a mood shift? You can’t swap the routine until you know the real payoff.
The chapter also introduces belief as the hidden ingredient. When a habit is tied to stress or identity, people often need a reason to trust that change is possible, and a community can help supply that trust.
The “golden rule” isn’t a trick. It’s a method for rebuilding behavior without pretending you can erase the brain’s old wiring. The old loop stays. You learn to run it differently.