Know Thy Behavior Patterns

The value of studying history is often less about learning events, dates, or historical facts, and more about learning to recognize patterns of behavior. In learning to recognize these patterns, we become more likely to avoid “repeating history.” This is true in U.S. and world history, though it’s also true in our personal and relational histories.

Every day we base our expectations and assumptions of what will happen on past and current patterns of behavior. Though most of us are much better at recognizing and focusing on the behavior patterns of others than we are at recognizing and focusing on our own behavior patterns.

In relationship counseling, most spouses walk into their own individual sessions eager to discuss their spouses’ behavioral patterns… as if the counselor