Addictions and other compulsive behaviors—ones you’d rather not engage in, but have trouble stopping—are a universal problem, and you're especially likely to encounter them when you're trying to make changes in your life. They epitomize the struggle between the primitive and human-specific parts of your brain that you need to negotiate, all the time, if you want to cultivate a Right Life. People’s natural tendency is either to face off with their addictions like they’re an opponent or run away from them but, as is usually the case, what comes easiest isn't the best approach.