I love this! You are completely right -its basically how we can run on automatic by subconciously using what we have learnt in previous situations. It frees up concious thought processes to concentrate on new and different things. Except it is often counterproductive to use what we learnt in a previous situation in the present, things just don't fit anymore. Its the cause of bad habbits and social anxiety. Luckily it's completely reversible!

Wondering if you have come across Acceptance and Commitment Therapy? It's an amazing and fairly new way of taking all the stressfull learnt triggers of emotion and distress and undoing it all. It part of a huge tird wave behaviourism movement and as much as it kills me to say it, it is already worth millions more than the likes of NLP - watch this space!