FORMING OF HABITS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 26, 30 July 1937, Page 11

FORMING OF HABITS

CONSCIOUS CONTROL'

W.E.A. LECTURE

The Lower Hutt W.E.A. Psychology Class met in the Borough Council Chambers on Wednesday evening when Dr. A. G. Butchers delivered his final lecture on "Habit." The law of habit, said the lecturer, was a law of tendency whose operation in-human life is as reliable as the law of gravity. Fixation did not, however,'take place with extreme rapidity, but by in-; hnitesimal degrees, with an insidious development of strength and. rate that only revealed itself when the fullgrown habit burst suddenly, into unexpected fruitage in our lives. This law operates positively as well as negatively, and our habits might become either a sheet-anchor -of . virtue or a millstone of. vice as the case may be. An important feature of the laws of habit was the fact that where, conscious control is not exercised, natural or uncontrolled habits establish themselves. For habit formation goes on all the while in every part of the bodily mechanism, whether consciously or unconsciously. Whatever happens leaves its trace upon the mechanism, which repetition . deepens and makes more permanent. Natural memory was but a, single aspect of this process. With an understanding knowledge of the laws of habit and a reasonable amount of purposive persistency most undesirable mannerisms, eccentricities, and habits could be eradicated, especially if their underlying causes — repressions, or what else —are candidly probed and removed at the same time. ■ So, positively, the cultivation of worthy complexes in religion, business, home, and cultural and recreative interests may be judiciously regulated, by ensuring that they get a due share of our attention and energy, so that each interest progresses pari passu with the. rest and the equilibrium of the whole personality is adequately maintained. More difficult because more subtle is the building in 1 of character types. . ■ , "IMITATORS :AND, COPIERS."Getting their initial "set" from their instinctive reactions to their first conditioning surroundings—parents, companions, station in life —children then steadily'and surely proceed to stereotype that "set," as "imitators and copiers" of their past selves. So traits of extroversion or introversion, stable or unstable-mindedness, optimism or pessimism, masterfulness or subservience, courage or cowardice, gentleness or roughness, altruism or selfishness, naturalness or conventionalism, straightforwardness or deceit, and so on, make their first appearance and grow to maturity. Old habits might be eradicated simultaneously with the cultivation of the new by cutting off all opportunities for their exercise and sublimating their energy" in the direction of the new. Not only did we thus acquire strength from the actual gains—muscular, emotional, intellectual, and characteristic—so secured and rendered immune from attack; .but also from the accession of power that results from, the removal of friction, and . the attainment of smooth team-\york as between all the constituent interests of . our personality. And though we may not choose our parentage, nor the period, place, or circumstances of our birth, .we possess in the power to form and control our habits .and in the absolute simplicity and constancy, of the laws of habit the sure and. certain means,, if not of winning wealth and fame, aUleast of atning wealth, and fame, at least of attaining a full measure of happiness and satisfaction in the great enterprise of life. ~ ■ At the conclusion of the lecture Mr. H. H. Ward moved and Miss C. A. Fraser seconded a hearty vote of thanks to Dr. Butchers for the series of lectures just concluded. This was carried by acclamation. In replying Dr. Butchers expressed the • opinion that there was a.wide field for W.E.A. extension work in the Hutt-Petone districts. He commended to all present the additional lecture courses arranged for the remainder of the session at Lower Hutt, to be given by Mr. L. F. de Berry, Mr. D. Hall, and Dr. John Nicol. ~