Mastery
The acquisition of knowledge or the perfection of a skill creates a sense of mastery in a person (or group of people). At its core, it embodies a desire for self- improvement, which itself can become addictive, as people strive towards an end goal that they may never be able to reach. Mastery is a double-edged sword, as it can create a sense of pride (sometimes falsely), confidence (sometimes unfounded), and power (sometimes corruptive) within individuals.
Andrew and Fiona had been measuring their blood pressure for years. They would often do it together, with perfect regularity, and were proud to tell us that they adapted their lifestyle when the readings were getting worse.
Our ethnographic research for a large pharmaceutical company showed us that their repetitive behaviour was actually inaccurate, as they were using the machine incorrectly, which in turn gave them varied readings. On the one hand, their mistaken sense of their mastery of their blood pressure measurement made them feel in control of their disease; on the other hand, it contributed to a deterioration in their condition.