Munger describes two broad tendencies in behaviour: conserving effort during familiar activities and resisting the loss of benefits that have become established. Once a routine is comfortable or an advantage has been enjoyed for a long time, changing it can provoke resistance even when the alternative may have wider benefits.

The first tendency helps explain why people often prefer familiar and less demanding ways of doing things. The second resembles loss aversion: giving something up can feel more significant than acquiring an equivalent benefit elsewhere. Together, these forces can make established habits and arrangements difficult to change.

More broadly, the quote suggests that behaviour is shaped not only by deliberate reasoning but also by recurring preferences for convenience and continuity. In management, policy or personal decision-making, recognising these tendencies can help explain why apparently sensible reforms may still encounter resistance.