Habit, instinct, or reflex?
The debate distinguishing whether an action is habitual, instinctive, or reflexive has occupied the minds of many psychologists and physiologists through the centuries, but we do know this:
We don't have control over reflexes.
Instincts are generally inborn but can be manifested more acutely through repeated environmental exposure.
Habits are developed by practice.
As habits are formed in complex environments with stimuli hitting you from many directions, the line between habitual and instinctive behavior gets blurred.
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