Axiomtheoreticalv1
When a habit forms, neural activity spikes at the cue and
When a habit forms, neural activity spikes at the cue and reward but drops during the routine, making the routine more modifiable than the cue-reward association.
Why This Is an Axiom
This is Graybiel's 'chunking' finding — an irreducible empirical claim about which parts of the habit loop are neurologically plastic vs. fixed. It explains WHY the Golden Rule works at a mechanistic level and cannot be derived from the general claim that habits exist in the basal ganglia.
Source Lessons
L-1035
The golden rule of habit change
You can change the routine if you keep the same cue and deliver the same reward.
L-1036
Craving engineering
You can create cravings for positive behaviors by consistently pairing them with rewards.
L-1002
Habit anatomy consists of cue routine and reward
Every habit has a trigger a behavior sequence and a payoff — change any one to change the habit.
L-1021
The cue starts everything
Without a reliable cue the rest of the habit loop never activates.