Identity-Based Habits

Biological Parallel

Worker ants don't decide to forage—they become foragers. Identity determines behavior: once differentiated, caste identity drives automatic role execution without deliberation. Identity-based habits exploit this: changing self-concept ('I am a runner') creates behavioral consistency more powerfully than goal pursuit ('I want to run'). Biology doesn't rely on motivation; it relies on developmental commitment. Cells differentiate, then execute. Identity precedes behavior, and behavior reinforces identity in self-stabilizing loops.