Inertia: Why the Action of Inaction Is a Universal Tendency

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class="blog-entry__title--full"> Inertia: Why the Action of Inaction Is a Universal Tendency </h1> <h2 class="blog-entry__subtitle--full"> Our wariness of change, whether adaptive or even maladaptive, can be overcome. </h2> <p class="blog-entry__date--full fine-print"> Posted <span class="blog_entry--date">February 19, 2025</span> <span class="blog_entry--full__review-info"> <span class="blog_entry--full__review-info-bar">|</span> <a href="/sg/docs/editorial-process" class="blog_entry--full__review-info-link"> <span class="blog_entry--full__review-info-icon"></span> <span class="blog_entry--full__review-info-text">Reviewed by Lybi Ma</span> </a> </span> </p> <div class="pt-social-media blog-entry-divider"> <ul class="share-buttons"> <li> <a title="Share on Facebook" class="facebook-share-button open-dialog" target="_blank" data-lang="en" 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href="mailto:?subject=Psychology%20Today%3A%20Inertia%3A%20Why%20the%20Action%20of%20Inaction%20Is%20a%20Universal%20Tendency%20%20&body=Hi%2C%0D%0A%0D%0AI%20thought%20you%27d%20be%20interested%20in%20this%20article%20on%20Psychology%20Today%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%20Inertia%3A%20Why%20the%20Action%20of%20Inaction%20Is%20a%20Universal%20Tendency%20%20%0D%0Ahttps%3A//www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/evolution-of-the-self/202502/inertia-why-the-action-of-inaction-is-a-universal-tendency%3Feml%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A---%0D%0AFind%20Counselling%3A%20https%3A//www.psychologytoday.com/sg&destination=node/5031026"> <div><img border="0" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/theme-assets/icons/icon-share-round-email-md.svg" alt="Share via Email" width="37" height="37" /><span class="visually-hidden">Email</span></div> </a> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="blog-entry--body"> <div class="blog-entry--body-first"> <div class="d-none d-xl-block"> <div class="pathways_card" > <div class="pathways_card__header"> <span class="pathways_card__title_verified"></span> <div class="h3 pathways_card__title">THE BASICS</div> </div> <ul> <li class="swatch-primary"> <a href="/sg/basics/motivation" class="swatch-primary font-semi-bold" hreflang="en">What Is Motivation?</a> </li> <li class="swatch-primary"> <a href="/sg/tests/career/burnout-at-work" class="swatch-primary font-semi-bold" hreflang="en">Take our Burnout Test</a> </li> <li class="swatch-primary"> <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/counselling?category=life-coaching" class="swatch-primary font-semi-bold">Find counselling near me</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> <div class="blog-entry--body-second"> <div class="blog_entry__key-points"> <h3 class="blog_entry__key-points-title">Key points</h3> <ul class="blog_entry__key-points-item-list"> <li class="blog_entry__key-points-item">Inertia refers to the tendency of things to remain as they are鈥攚hether they鈥檙e in motion or at rest. </li> <li class="blog_entry__key-points-item">Individuals typically aren鈥檛 motivated enough to try out behaviors that might increase their odds of success.</li> <li class="blog_entry__key-points-item">Change requires more effort than just letting things stay as they are.</li> <li class="blog_entry__key-points-item">Paradoxically, your environment can work both for you and against you鈥攃hoose wisely.</li> </ul> </div> <div class="field-name-body"> <div class="insertArea ck-widget"> <div class="image-article-inline-half"> <div class="insert-inner"> <div class="insert-image"><img class="image-article_inline_half_caption" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/assets/styles/article_inline_half_caption/public/field_blog_entry_images/2025-02/AIGenerated_Shutterstock_2588003585.jpg?itok=R-lIHW3s" width="320" height="320" data-insert-type="image" title="AI Generated Shutterstock"></div> <div class="caption"> </div> <div class="insertArea--origin subtext">Source: <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/basics/artificial-intelligence" title="Psychology Today looks at AI" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-SG">AI</a> Generated Shutterstock</div> </div> </div> </div> <p><span>Derived originally from physics, the concept of inertia refers to the tendency of things to remain as they are鈥攚hether they鈥檙e in motion or at rest. </span></p> <p><span>For change to occur, what's required is a sufficiently powerful outside force. Applied to psychology, this axiom posits that individuals exhibit a natural tendency to do nothing or, on the contrary, to not discontinue doing whatever they're already engaged in. </span></p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-0" data-slot-position="0"></div> <p><span><strong>The Reluctance to Change</strong></span></p> <p><span>This axiom also explains why individuals typically aren鈥檛 motivated enough to try behaviors that might increase the odds of their success. Here are some of the reasons for this resistance:</span></p> <p><span><strong>Maintaining the status quo. </strong>Irrefutably, change requires more effort than just letting things stay as they are. The resulting hesitancy, whether it centers on engaging in new behaviors or determining possible decisions, is best explained by the inborn resistance to expend additional energy on something already established. We also <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/basics/fear" title="Psychology Today looks at fear" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-SG">fear</a> the possible result of loss or rejection that could result from trying something new. </span></p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-1" data-slot-position="1"></div> <p><span>Moreover, the well-nigh universal tendency to <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/basics/procrastination" title="Psychology Today looks at procrastinate" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-SG">procrastinate</a> is also best explained by feelings of <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/basics/anxiety" title="Psychology Today looks at anxiety" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-SG">anxiety</a> and fears relating to defeat. After all, the uncertain scenario of diving into water whose temperature isn't yet known is not simply challenging but, unconsciously, generally perceived as threatening. </span></p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-2" data-slot-position="2"></div> <p><span><strong>The influence of others. </strong>When we鈥檙e socially isolated and consensus is unavailable, we鈥檙e less motivated to take action.</span></p> <p><span><strong>The cues provided by our environment. </strong>When our surroundings<strong> </strong>are cluttered or distracting, feelings of overwhelm make us less ready to act.</span></p> <p><span><strong>The conveniences offered by modern technology.</strong> It鈥檚 so easy for us to be instructed or entertained without expending much effort that it encourages an attitude of passivity. Why struggle to gain knowledge or amusement when such struggles have become superfluous?</span></p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-3" data-slot-position="3"></div> <p><span><strong>Getting Beyond Inertia</strong></span></p> <p><span>Here鈥檚 what helps to overcome the tendency toward inactivity:</span></p> <p><span><strong>Make your objectives known. </strong>Paradoxically, we can willingly put pressure on ourselves to follow through on our intentions by informing others of what we intend to achieve. Going public like this forces us into a corner that we can free ourselves of only through taking action.</span></p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-4" data-slot-position="4"></div> <p><span><strong>Set clear <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/basics/motivation" title="Psychology Today looks at goals" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-SG">goals</a>. </strong>Provide ourselves with the necessary direction and purpose needed to overcome inertia if we establish goals that are objective and specific鈥攁nd which we perceive as, given enough effort, to be achievable.</span></p> <p><span><strong>Make your environment work for you. </strong>Not only can our surroundings interfere with achieving our goals but, on the contrary, they can operate to facilitate accomplishing them. If your workspace is clean and orderly (versus messy and in disarray), such organization will serve to encourage <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/basics/productivity" title="Psychology Today looks at productivity" class="basics-link" hreflang="en-SG">productivity</a>.</span></p> <div class="markup-replacement-slot markup-replacement-slot-5" data-slot-position="5"></div> <p><em><span>漏 </span></em><span>2025 </span><a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/evolution-the-self"><span>Leon F. Seltzer, Ph.D. </span></a><span>All Rights Reserved.</span></p> <div class="d-xl-none pathways_card" > <div class="pathways_card__header"> <span class="pathways_card__title_verified"></span> <div class="h3 pathways_card__title">THE BASICS</div> </div> <ul> <li class="swatch-primary"> <a href="/sg/basics/motivation" class="swatch-primary font-semi-bold" hreflang="en">What Is Motivation?</a> </li> <li class="swatch-primary"> <a href="/sg/tests/career/burnout-at-work" class="swatch-primary font-semi-bold" hreflang="en">Take our Burnout Test</a> </li> <li class="swatch-primary"> <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/sg/counselling?category=life-coaching" class="swatch-primary font-semi-bold">Find counselling near me</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="social-links-bottom"> <div class="pt-social-media blog-entry-divider"> <ul class="share-buttons"> <li> <a title="Share on Facebook" class="facebook-share-button open-dialog" target="_blank" data-lang="en" href="https://facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=220580041311284&display=page&href=https%3A//www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/evolution-of-the-self/202502/inertia-why-the-action-of-inaction-is-a-universal-tendency&redirect_uri=https%3A//www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/evolution-of-the-self/202502/inertia-why-the-action-of-inaction-is-a-universal-tendency" onclick="window.open(this.href,'newWindow','toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,width=640,height=480');return false;"> <div><img border="0" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/theme-assets/icons/icon-share-round-facebook-md.svg" alt="Share on Facebook" width="37" height="37" /><span class="visually-hidden">Share</span></div> </a> </li> <li> <a title="Share on Twitter" class="twitter-share-button open-dialog" target="_blank" data-lang="en" href="https://twitter.com/share?text=Inertia%3A%20Why%20the%20Action%20of%20Inaction%20Is%20a%20Universal%20Tendency%20%20%20%7C%20Psychology%20Today&url=https%3A//www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/evolution-of-the-self/202502/inertia-why-the-action-of-inaction-is-a-universal-tendency&related=PsychToday" onclick="window.open(this.href,'newWindow','toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,width=640,height=480');return false;"> <div><img border="0" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/theme-assets/icons/icon-share-round-twitter-md.svg" alt="Share on Twitter" width="37" height="37" /><span class="visually-hidden">Tweet</span></div> </a> </li> <li> <a title="Share on LinkedIn" class="linkedin-share-button open-dialog" target="_blank" data-lang="en" href="https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A//www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/evolution-of-the-self/202502/inertia-why-the-action-of-inaction-is-a-universal-tendency" onclick="window.open(this.href,'newWindow','toolbar=no,location=no,status=no,menubar=no,scrollbars=no,resizable=yes,width=640,height=480');return false;"> <div><img border="0" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/theme-assets/icons/icon-share-round-linkedin-md.svg" alt="Share on LinkedIn" width="37" height="37" /><span class="visually-hidden">Share</span></div> </a> </li> <li><div class="form-item-type-email js-form-item form-item js-form-type-email form-item- js-form-item- form-no-label"> <a title="Share via Email" class="email-share-button open-dialog" data-lang="en" href="mailto:?subject=Psychology%20Today%3A%20Inertia%3A%20Why%20the%20Action%20of%20Inaction%20Is%20a%20Universal%20Tendency%20%20&body=Hi%2C%0D%0A%0D%0AI%20thought%20you%27d%20be%20interested%20in%20this%20article%20on%20Psychology%20Today%3A%0D%0A%0D%0A%20Inertia%3A%20Why%20the%20Action%20of%20Inaction%20Is%20a%20Universal%20Tendency%20%20%0D%0Ahttps%3A//www.psychologytoday.com/sg/blog/evolution-of-the-self/202502/inertia-why-the-action-of-inaction-is-a-universal-tendency%3Feml%0D%0A%0D%0A%0D%0A---%0D%0AFind%20Counselling%3A%20https%3A//www.psychologytoday.com/sg&destination=node/5031026"> <div><img border="0" src="https://cdn2.psychologytoday.com/theme-assets/icons/icon-share-round-email-md.svg" alt="Share via Email" width="37" height="37" /><span class="visually-hidden">Email</span></div> </a> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </article> </div> <div class="pt-ad pt-ad--300x250 d-block d-none d-md-block d-lg-none block" id="block-adblock-20"> <div class="pt-ad--container pt-ad-show-text"> <div class="pt-ad--text"> <span>advertisement</span> </div> <div id="div-gpt-ad-1424993595349-0" class="pt-ad--content"> <script type="text/javascript"> if (!window.ptAdSlots || window.ptAdSlots.length === 0) { window.ptAdSlots = []; 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