No. 323 · Your own mind · General Thinking
Gateway Drug Theory
A small, easy first step can make a much bigger next step feel natural.
In the Almanac
“Kandel’s sequence”, 1975 · “Fortnite”, 2017
Both stories in full, three ways to use it and where it misleads.
Get the AlmanacQuestions
What is Gateway Drug Theory?
The Gateway Drug Theory suggests that a small, easy first step makes bigger steps more likely, by building habits, identity and comfort. It started as a claim about drug use, and it now describes free trials, small compromises and tiny habits.
How do you use Gateway Drug Theory?
Before taking a first step, ask where the path usually leads. Use small gateways deliberately for habits you want. And remember that a common sequence does not prove the first step caused the rest.
When does Gateway Drug Theory matter?
Gateway Drug Theory is one of the 31 mental models for your own mind, the situations where you ask: Is my own thinking leading me astray? Within that, it belongs to “Comparing, following and drifting”, alongside Bandwagon Effect, Grass is Greener Mentality and Relativity.
What is an example of Gateway Drug Theory?
Two stories show it at work: Kandel’s sequence (1975) and Fortnite (2017). Both are told in full in The Mental Models Daily Almanac, which has two stories for each of its 365 models.
Which mental models are related to Gateway Drug Theory?
Commitment and Consistency Bias, Slippery Slope and Loss Leader Strategy. Gateway Drug Theory itself comes from general thinking.