The Ritual Effect
Book

The Ritual Effect

From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions

Michael Norton
Scribner, 2024

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Analytical
  • Engaging
  • Inspiring

Recommendation

In an age when technological systems and corporations have more influence over people than religious and spiritual leaders once had, many people have lost touch with the rituals that used to give life meaning and shape.Michael Norton, a behavioral economics researcher, urges you to “reenchant” your life by adopting rituals, adapting them to your needs, and creating your own. Rituals can serve as powerful tools to help you navigate the transitions and transformations in your life, says Norton. Learn how to start harnessing the power of ritual to enrich your life, connect to community, and build the mindset and resolve you need to work toward your goals.

Summary

The modern decline in ritual can contribute to a loss of meaning — but you can “reenchant” your own life.

Many people grew up with rituals — such as singing hymns at mass — but society is moving into a more secular age, and people are losing faith in both religious leaders and government institutions. Economist Max Weber predicted this trend in 1897, asserting that humanity has been moving increasingly toward “disenchantment” as bureaucracy, science, and technological systems displace organizing principles derived from religion, spirituality, and magical thinking. He warned that soon humanity would enter a “polar night of icy darkness” as rationality eclipses the sense of meaning people once gained from ritual, faith, and superstition. Weber imagined a “disenchanted world bereft of ritual.”

Keeping ritual alive in your life can offer several benefits. For example, because enacting a ritual can connect you to the present moment, rituals can help you escape the pressure to pursue nonstop optimization. Ritual can also help you connect with a sense of cultural identity. People who gather with friends and family to ...

About the Author

Michael Norton is a professor at Harvard Business School and co-author of Happy Money: The Science of Happier Spending. His research centers on behavioral economics and well-being.

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