The cat and the string

No matter what mood they're in, or what has happened in the previous 5 minutes, if you dangle string in front of a cat for long enough, it will chase it.

Even the laziest, most stubborn cat in the world will eventually give in.

They can't help it. It's hard-wired.

We humans still have a bunch of behaviours that are hard-wired in a similar way.

The difference is that we can consciously think about and modify them -- if we choose to.

That's what separates people from animals -- the ability to override obsolete, deep-rooted instincts based on logic and learning.

So next time you say to yourself, "I just can't help it," remember that you're not a cat -- you can make whatever choice you want.

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