Habit: Good Servant but Bad Master
A habit is like a tree grown crochet. One cannot got to orchard and take hold of a tree grown such and straighten it and say new get straight and make it obey him when one is young, he can acquire good or bad habits. One starts doing act for the sake of pleasure, for the sake of fun and if he is doing that things, that particular act at regular or irregular intervals, he starts enjoying it and starts feeling the necessity of doing it again, at that particular time and it gradually takes a form of a habit.
We can find many people, having unwarranted habit of utterance, while walking, habit of eye winking while talking, habit of change gestures during conservation, using filthy or abusive language in friendly talks and so on we find people applying his hand at the nose, at the ear, at the chin, or moving fingers or legs while thinking, talking in general. A strange thing about such people is that they were not aware to their actions in the beginning and at later stage the habit is formed.
The importance of habit is just as great in forming moral character as in the training of horses and soldiers to automatic obedience to the word of command. All moralists recognize the fact that it is possible for men to become better or worse by the cultivation of good or bad habits, in facts, and that it is just this which makes moral progress and deterioration possible. A man who yields to temptation may at first do so with reluctance; but after yielding once or twice, resistance becomes more difficult until at last by continued submission he is so completely enslaved that he has no control over his evil passions. On the contrary, if he had conquered the first temptation, his will would hereby become stronger and, after frequent victories, he would have been so habituated to self-control that the temptations, which had first tried him, would have lost their attractive power and then he might have led his moral will strengthened by the habit of victory, to still greater moral efforts.
It is the most simple thing in the world to drift down the stream into bad company, into the bar, just a little beer, just a little gambling, just title bad company, just a little killing of time, and just this or that gradually make you feel the need of it and the habit is formed.
Habit of early rise and ‘habit’ of early sleeping are termed as the best habits, but some time these best habits become a cause of tension. Habit of reading newspaper is also a good habit, but if due to some reason you couldn’t get the newspaper, you are in tension. Habit of getting fresh immediately after wake up is treated as the best way of starting a day, but if the toilet lavatory is preoccupied, the habit becomes a cause of worry. A man who acquired habit of drinking milk before going to bed, may feel uneasy or sleepless if doesn’t get milk. “Habit” of going for a walk in the morning or evening is also termed as good habits, but if it couldn’t be possible due to any reason, you feel uneasy. These are some of the examples of those ‘habits’ which are termed as good habits, said to be foundation of success, and prosperity, basis of good health and long life. Habit of any kind if becomes our master it is bad, if the habit is under our control, under our service, it will serve our good purpose. People enjoy smoking, people enjoy drinking, but habit of smoking or drinking when becomes our master we feel uneasy or wearisome, without smoking or drinking, it is felt bad. So rightly said, “Habit is a good servant but a bad master, don’t let the habits to control you, conquer you, keep them your ‘servants’ and enjoy their company” is the secret of enjoying the life to the fullest extent.
