Automated behavior patterns

We all behave in virtually the same fashion and in the same order everytime, we all are consistingly repeating behavioral patterns. It is as if these patters were recorded and there comes a click to activate it and then a sequence of behaviors occur. We're fixed-action oriented by nature. And these fixed-action patterns involve intrincate bahavioral sequences that can be triggered. Internally, of course, but also externally triggered by someone, or a situation. And this trigger-feature can be, and usually is, a very tiny aspect of the whole situation that can affect the course of the things dramatically.

An example of an external trigger-feature is this well-known principle of human behavior: when we ask someone to do us a favor we will be more successful if we provide a reason (or something than can be taken as it, a reason-like - i.e. just repeating the question the other way around trying to make it seem a real argumentation). Simply by seeming that we're providing a reason we can trigger the situation to our pitch.

Automated behavior patterns make us terribly vulnerable to anyone who does know how they work. And detect them demand a high degree of self-knowledge, including these situation in where there is something valuable involved.

Why we behave this? Because we learn reacting by stimulus. And we do so because the probability of survive doing that way is high enough when compared with the invested effort. A simple question of effort economy.