Jukebox mind.

While the "thinking-self" nature of the conscious mind evokes images of a "ghost in the machine,"  there is no similar self-awareness operating in the subconscious mind. The latter mechanism is more akin to a jukebox loaded with behavioral programs, each ready to play as soon as the environmental signals appear and press the selection buttons. If we don't like a particular song in the jukebox, how much yelling or arguing with the machine will cause it to re-program it's play list?  In my college days, I saw many an inebriated student, to no avail, curse and kick jukeboxes that were not responsive to their requests.  Similarly, we must realize that no amount of yelling or cajoling by the conscious mind can ever change the behavioral tapes programmed into the subconscious mind. Once we realize the ineffectiveness of this tactic, we can quit engaging in a pitched battle with the subconscious mind and take a more clinical approach to re-programming it.  Engaging the subconscious mind in battle is as pointless as kicking the jukebox in the hope that it will re-program its playlist.