THE FORCE OF HABIT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13455, 6 April 1907, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE FORCE OF HABIT.

Mahit in man. say- Dr. ISelioiield in "The : i..'noo!iscious Mind. means an act. or thought, or .sensation, or any combination j |of these, that has been sufficiently often I repeated to no longer require the same in-1 telligence or will-power for its execution i .that was .1 first needed. Once a habit is, well established, fix int. rfeienee of toil-' scious will only spoils it* perfect action, j .Whenever knitting or typewriting lias be- ; come automatic, if you think about tilt* [ j formation of each stitch or letter, you have! 10 work much more slowly, and arc more, ;liable ta make mistaken. A fixed habit j 'is thus deranged by volition. ' j Physical habits are iunumentble : they I extend through all .ear being. are insensibly being formed whenever an act is re- ■ pen ted sufficiently often, and are generally: I only recognised when it is too late to alter | tie in. They aie amazing in their intri-J racy and variety. u« well as ill the extra- i ordinary ease they give when once thinly j established in tn«- performance of the most j i difficult and at til si impossible tasks, ill" j old saying, "It's tiling when you are j used to it." simply means. "If a thing is j too hard to do. establish a habit and you j ■will accomplish it." \ A bad habit us a terrible thing when 1 ! thoroughly fixed. It is a grave moral di'itw-j j back when processes that should lie in- j tellectual become mechanical by habit, as, 'when prayei .is said by rote ; it is this that constitute- all forms of "'cant." Habit- can be former! unconsciously mi childhood, of truth. unselfishness. reverence. modesty, cleanliness, punctuality. :neatness, endurance, courage, self-control, ! humility, obedience, politeness, diligence, ipurity, kindness, cheerfulness?; or by bad, [traiuiug vi each and all of their [