Damn the Doritos
Build durable self-control by practicing beside a controlled temptation
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 94%
Environmental control is scaffolding: useful while a new habit is fragile, but insufficient if the behavior collapses whenever the protected environment disappears. Begin by removing temptation long enough to establish stability. Then, only where safe, introduce one bounded temptation into a controlled setting without acting on it. Use each successful refusal as evidence for an identity statement: you do difficult things and remain in control of the choice. Repeat until the presence of the cue no longer dictates behavior, then observe whether the habit survives vacations, offices, or social events. Carmichael keeps Doritos in his office because they are tempting, turning non-consumption into a daily confidence rep. The method trains agency rather than permanent avoidance, but it must not be generalized to dangerous compulsions or medically sensitive behavior.
Origin
Carmichael keeps a bag of Doritos in his office despite wanting to eat it. Instead of relying forever on a junk-food-free environment, he uses the visible bag as a recurring reminder that he can choose difficult restraint.
Core principles
- 01Removing temptation is a useful first step, not the final capability
- 02A habit should survive outside a perfectly controlled environment
- 03Visible restraint can reinforce an identity of doing difficult things
How to run it
- 1
Stabilize first
Remove the temptation while building the basic habit and proving that the desired behavior is possible.
Pro tip Treat environmental control like a cast, not a permanent identity.
Watch out Do not rush into exposure while the behavior remains unstable.
- 2
Select a safe cue
Choose one bounded temptation whose presence can be practiced around without serious harm.
Pro tip Start with the smallest meaningful challenge.
Watch out Do not self-administer this method for addiction or disordered eating.
- 3
Practice visible choice
Keep the cue present in a controlled context and deliberately choose not to act on it.
Pro tip Name the decision as evidence that you do difficult things.
Watch out Repeated lapses mean the challenge is too strong or premature.
- 4
Generalize the habit
Observe whether the same choice holds in ordinary environments that you cannot perfectly control.
Watch out The goal is durable choice, not constant unnecessary suffering.
In the wild
Carmichael keeps a tempting bag of Doritos visible in his office. Each day he does not eat it, he frames the choice as proof that he can do difficult things rather than proof that he needs a temptation-free room.
→ The cue becomes a recurring self-control practice and identity reminder.
Common mistakes
Exposing too early
Environmental removal is a valid first step. Exposure before a habit stabilizes can produce preventable relapse.
Applying it to dangerous behavior
Some temptations require abstinence or professional guidance. Do not turn a motivational example into unsafe exposure.
Is it for you?
Best for
People with a stable baseline who want to strengthen everyday self-control around a bounded temptation.
Not ideal for
Addiction, eating disorders, or any behavior where deliberate exposure should be professionally supervised.
From the transcript
“i have a strategy called damn to doritos”
“i think it's a good first step but it's like if you break your leg you have a cast and you have crutches but your…”
“i like to teach myself that i do difficult things that i'm stronger than the doritos”
From the episode
Evan Carmichael: Surviving Entrepreneurship
Evan Carmichael