Bad Habits on the Small Screen

You’re not alone when it comes to struggling with bad habits. They’re on display on screens everywhere—from Birdman star Michael Keaton’s obvious gum-smacking at the Academy Awards to Lady Mary’s predilection for making poor romantic choices on Downton Abbey .

Here we apply Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies personality framework to a few fictional folks’ foibles.

Andy Bernard ( The Office )

Habit: inappropriately bursting into

song

Tendency: Obliger As a salesman with daddy issues, Andy is the ultimate Obliger who tries to meet all his co-workers’ expectations. Maybe his musical outbursts are the one way his true personality is popping out? Obliger with a side of Rebel?

Kramer ( Seinfeld )

Habit: barging into rooms without knocking

Tendency: Questioner As a Questioner, Kramer is meeting his own expectations of behavior and resisting common etiquette. He needs a good reason not to barge in; Jerry and the gang never gave him one, so why would he change?

Carrie Bradshaw ( Sex and

the City )

Habit: relentless shoe-shopping despite a limited budget

Tendency: Rebel Shoes and fashion are part of her identity, so it takes serious repercussions (i.e., financial problems) for Carrie to reign in her spending. As Rubin says in her book, “Rebels wake up and think, ‘What do I want to do today?’” What Carrie wants, obviously, is to have the freedom to shop and adorn herself— regardless of the consequences.

Chris Traeger ( Parks and

Recreation )

Habit: compulsively exercising and taking healthy eating to the extreme

Tendency: Upholder Chris is very self-motivated and, like any good Upholder, he may be so busy relentlessly meeting outer and inner expectations that he’s overdoing it. Maybe he needs to lower his own expectations and give himself a gold star for moderation.

Peter Griffin ( Family Guy )

Habit: brash impulsiveness

Tendency: Rebel With seemingly no impulse control at all, the obese head of the animated Griffin family is a no-holds-barred, no-rules Rebel. He doesn’t think before he speaks and he is, to use a word Rubin has in her Rebel description, “unshackled.”

Olivia Pope ( Scandal )

Habit: drinking very expensive red wine at night

Tendency: Questioner If asked about her drinking, Olivia would no doubt explain, “I can afford it and it’s not affecting my work performance, so bring on the Bordeaux.” Like a typical Questioner, she’s meeting her own expectations and doesn’t much give a fig about what others expect of her.