Everyone says they want to grow, improve, and live authentically. But many carry a subtle, corrosive habit: the bullshit habit. This is the tendency to deceive yourself or others through excuses, inflated talk, deflection, or performative behavior. It’s not always malicious. In fact, most of the time, it’s unconscious. But it keeps you stuck, weak, and far from your potential. Cutting the bullshit is hard because it means facing yourself fully. But it’s also the beginning of real power.
What Is a Bullshit Habit?
A bullshit habit is any repeated behavior that prioritizes appearance over substance. It’s when you say the right thing but don’t do it. When you act busy but avoid what matters. When you exaggerate wins, hide flaws, or use clever language to excuse inaction. It thrives in vague goals, soft commitments, and constant justification.
Examples:
- Saying “I’m working on it” when you haven’t started.
- Posting about self-improvement without practicing it.
- Blaming time, people, or energy when it’s really fear.
- Talking like a visionary while living like a drifter.
Signs You Have One
- You explain more than you act
Constantly justifying yourself is a red flag. When your energy goes into explaining why you haven’t done something instead of doing it, the habit has taken root. - You feel relieved by saying, not doing
Talking about your goals feels like progress, but it’s a false sense of movement. If you talk more than you act, you’re self-soothing, not evolving. - You overuse buzzwords or vague language
Phrases like “in alignment,” “working through stuff,” or “manifesting” can become smokescreens if they’re not grounded in specific action. - You procrastinate under the mask of preparation
Researching, planning, or tweaking endlessly without starting is just polished avoidance. - You react defensively to confrontation or clarity
If someone challenges your story and it rattles you, that’s your ego defending the illusion. Truth doesn’t need to flinch.
Why It’s So Addictive
Bullshit is comforting. It allows you to feel competent without risk. You can appear committed without doing the hard, boring, or scary parts. It shields you from failure, embarrassment, and responsibility. But it also costs you respect, growth, and integrity. The longer you run it, the more hollow your progress feels.
How to Break It
1. Call yourself out, in plain language
Drop euphemisms. Stop sugarcoating. Say it clearly: “I haven’t done it because I was scared.” “I made a promise I didn’t keep.” Owning the truth is the first cut.
2. Track actions, not intentions
Use a daily system to track what you did, not what you meant to do. Keep it binary: did it or didn’t. This destroys the illusion of effort.
3. Make commitments public and short-term
Long vague promises fuel delay. Try this instead: “I will send this by Friday.” “I will run for 15 minutes today.” Tiny, concrete actions kill ambiguity.
4. Audit your language
Listen to how you speak about your life. Are you explaining a lot? Using qualifiers? Hiding behind poetic phrases? Strip it down. Get raw.
5. Get feedback from someone blunt
A real friend, mentor, or coach who doesn’t buy your excuses is gold. Let them reflect your patterns back to you. Don’t argue. Listen.
6. Reward truth, not performance
Validate yourself when you’re honest, even if it stings. Stop rewarding yourself for appearances. Over time, this rewires your pride.
Final Thought
A bullshit habit isn’t about lying to the world. It’s about lying to yourself just enough to feel safe. But safety isn’t the goal. Freedom is. And freedom begins the moment you get brutally honest about where you are and what you’re doing. Cut the bullshit. Start small, stay sharp, and let your actions speak louder than your persona.
