Habits

What are the habits that we come across in this world? Is it possible to remember every one of them? Are they similar? What is a habit? Is there anyone in this world who has no habit? Such other thoughts come to our mind when we think of habits. There is nobody in this world that has no habits. Everybody in this world has one or another habit. Habits and quantum of habits differ from person to person. We are unaware of many of the habits which we have. We follow many habits blindly until we realize that they are not worth following. Further, we can make out easily only some of the habits that one has whereas some of the habits in one are such that it is difficult to make out what they are. Some are natural habits and some are strange peculiar habits. Habits keep one busy and active. Habits reveal one’s nature. Habits are quite essential to lead a life. It is said that one cannot enjoy their life without a habit. Of course, one can enjoy life with good habits only and any enjoyment of life with a bad habit is temporary one only. Majority of us, especially, while cultivating habits are unable to make out which are good habits and which are bad habits. As a result ,we fall a prey to bad habits .Most probably, it is a bad moment in in our life. The bad appears to us as good at that time. In fact, knowingly nobody acquires bad habits . No matter whether good habits are with young or old, with men or women or whether they are with the animals, they are not only to be lauded but also to be followed.

There are equal number of bad habits as there are number of good habits. Our first need is to understand among habits which we have which habits are bad. National Academy of Sciences suggests there may be combinations of genes and environmental factors that make it hard for some people to maintain control over their habits. One’s habits are closely perceived by society of which he or she is a member. His or her habits may become subjects of a talk. They are subject to criticism. Habits may make one either popular or unpopular

Habit is a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition.Habit is more or less like a developed quality of a human being. Nobody is born with all the habits that he or she has. Among the habits that one has only a few habits are inherited one. Rest of the habits are either acquired or formed by him or her during course of their life. Habits have different characteristics. Some habits cannot be even described. Animals and individuals have some distinct habits. An individual can be recognized by his or her distinct habits too.Many birds and animals are identified by the habits that they have.There is a saying that birds of same feather fly together and generally we find that people with similar habits come closer and closer to one another.One's qualities influence one's habits .One’s financial position too influences one’s habits. Rich people have habits which are costly whereas poor people have only those habits which their purse permits. In fact some habits cost us directly whereas some habits cost us indirectly.Further there are habits which do not cost us anything at all. Customs which one follows imbibe certain habits into one. If one has good habits he or she is generally acknowledged as a good person and he or she is said to have virtues.One can please others with their good habits. Similarly one who has bad habits or vices is called a bad person. Often it is they who turn out to be villains.Nobody would appreciate bad habits. They are always viewed with scorn. A universal prayer is that one should never fall prey to bad habits for once one falls prey to bad habits means he or she cannot come out of them easily .It is very difficult to come out unscathed even. Bad habits are like a comfortable bed, easy to get into, but hard to get out of.Some habits are such that one falls prey to them quickly whereas some habits require time to get themselves deep rooted.

Habits play a pivotal role. It does not to matter to it whether it is one’s success or down fall. Habits can do or undo a person. We first make our habits, and then our habits make us.Nothing is stronger than habit. If one has the habit of falling asleep in the daytime, whether one likes or not one gets sleep at that particular moment of time.Once it is a habit, it gets so deep rooted in one that even if one decides not to continue the same, one cannot adhere to his or her resolve so easily, in fact one repeats it without his or her knowledge because it has become routine. That is why the saying “Old habits do not die.” It is a fact too. They do not leave one. They remain in one’s subconscious mind and emerge without their knowledge once in a way. Certain habits can mar one’s life.Habits are first cobwebs, then cables. Habits cannot be changed according to the whims and fancies.

Habits are important. Study of habits is a science. We generally follow the habits of our elders until or otherwise we realize that they are not worthy to be followed. In this respect there is no much difference between human beings and monkeys. Monkeys imitate others. Habits of great people are being generally followed by most of the people as they are worth emulative Similarly, we follow the habits of elders. Habits are formed. Because of this tendency in us Darwin might have concluded that “Man is descendant of monkey” Further, it is not enough if we know which are good habits and which are bad habits, we must follow habits which are good. One's habits should be such that they should not cause any inconvenience to others. Initially one starts doing something for a joke gradually it becomes a habit without his or her knowledge.Habits are voluntary actions.

A habit generally needs time. No habit is formed overnight. Some habits need more time and some habits need less time. That is also one of the differences between one habit and another habit too.Consciousness interferes especially in connection with the formation of new habits. Further habit formation depends on an individual also. Because of practice only one gets habituated. Practice makes a man perfect. This is true in case of a habit too.Before cultivating or forming any habit one should use his or her common sense. One should know whether it is a good habit or a bad habit. Addiction is habitual psychological and physiological dependence on a substance or practice beyond one's voluntary control.One should be cautious and should be aware of pros and cons while cultivating any habit. Addiction drives one mad too.Once it becomes a habit many a times one repeats it without his or her knowledge even. It becomes a part parcel of his or her routine . One’s habits are their strengths and weaknesses only. They cannot be changed easily.In whatever way a habit is cultivated by one it continues in the same strain in them unaltered. Slip shod if any persist in them until and unless they are attended and corrected. Otherwise slipshod would remain as part and parcel of that habit and it would be very hard to part with those slipshod subsequently. One's resolve,will power , efforts and everything are quite essential to bring about any change in a habit. Sometimes one has to undergo behavioral therapy or enter a rehabilitation center to undergo a change. Some great personalities too influence and bring out changes through their great qualities. If one has bad habits they do not command either the respect of members of their family, or respect of their subordinates . Further, they do not have even moral right or authority to advise anybody even. Bad habits are one’s shortcomings only. Human psychology is that one who has a habit would like the other to have also that habit. Of course, an addict does not want their children or their enemy to fall a prey to the habit to which they have fallen a prey to. In this case, even their children also do not want to fall prey to the habit that their parents have fallen prey to.

How habits are mistaken as one’s nature? Unpunctuality is one’s habit only. It is not one’s nature by birth. It is a deliberate one. He or she does not cope with time and allows delay to develop, they are unpunctual. They are not serious about keeping up time. Of course, if such habits are not discontinued, they become part and parcel of their lives and are termed as their nature. Similarly in case of lying, nobody is a liar by birth. He or she cultivates that habit only. If one does not disassociate themselves from such practice their habit is thought to be their nature.

Change in habits comes from heart not head. It is important to know that will power can control one’s habit more than anything else. Will power is strength of will to carry out one's decisions, wishes, or plans. In order to develop will power concentration is quite essential. It is of the utmost value to learn how to concentrate. To make the greatest success of anything you must be able to concentrate your entire thought upon the idea you are working on. The person that is able to concentrate utilizes all constructive thoughts and shuts out all destructive ones. The greatest man would accomplish nothing if he lacked concentration. Concentration can be developed through yoga and meditation. Where there is a will there is always a way.

It is curiosity that sometimes leads one into either a good or a bad habit. We come across different kind of people in this world and they are made up of both good and bad habits. If bad habits exceed good habits in a person, that person turns out to be a bad man to a society. Similarly if good habits exceed bad habits in a person that person is generally recognized as a good person. However, there is exception to this also.We find innumerable or countless number of habits among people and habits vary from person to person. We can make out from habits whether one is young or old. Young have different habits which differ from those that of old people.Further,a few habits are common in all individuals. Some have habits which are funny or peculiar or strange. Some habits that we notice in people are are natural habits. Further some have the habit of obliging everybody wherever and whenever possible, whereas some do not have this habit of obliging others. They are self centered .They look after only their welfare. One of the reasons why one is called strange, eccentric, or funny that is because of their peculiar habits only. We find all kind of eccentric people in this universe .A curious thing about habits is that people never knew some of the habits that they had in them.

There are countless number of habits. There are various types of habits in this world too.Some of them can be useful and desirable one. Some of them can be useless and undesirable one too. Some habits cost us and affect us financially whereas there are some habits which do not cost us anything but affect us otherwise. Some habits are harmful and some are harmless .We find people with different habits in this universe. List of habits that we find in people is in exhaustive. Of course, everyone does not have same habits. Some have the habit of biting their nails. Some have the habit of sucking their thumb. Some have the habit of scratching their head. Some have the habit of splitting their hair. Some have the habit of eavesdropping.Some have the of lying. Some have the habit of always scolding others. Some have the habit of always abusing others Some have the habit of finding fault with others. Some have the habit of backstabbing. Some people have the habit of cheating , some people have the habit of lying Some carry tales from pillar to post. Smoking cigars, consuming alcoholic drinks, narcotics etc are habits only. Some drill their nostrils. Some talk while they are asleep. Some wake up in their sleep and walk. Saving is a habit. Spending lavishly is a habit. Thinking twice before spending where it is not even necessary is also a habit. Habits make one richer or poorer depending upon which of these habits they cultivate.

Good habits are to be emulated whereas bad habits are be got rid of at the earliest . Good habits do not cost one generally anything. Normally one’s pains and strains are only investments for a good habit. One gains much through good habits in every way. A good habit is a jewel. A bad habit is garbage. It is difficult to imagine what habits an individual would have. Reading good books, listening to music, writing etc are good habits. Ultimately we find that both good habits and bad habits are equal in number. Even if one has a number of good habits and has a few bad habits he or she may turn out to be bad to the world. It all depends what habit one has. One of the drawbacks of we human beings is that we cannot differentiate which are good habits and which are bad habits. We consider whatever habits we have as good.We should know our habits. Shakespeare in his play "As you like it" says “Dost thou think thou are virtuous there should be no cake or ale.” Another poet exclaims “If you do not drink what is there? You do other hundreds of deeds which are worse than drinking”

Habits influence every aspect of one’s life. Happiness is a habit only . Singing is a good habit. It is said that one who sings would have no ills. It is good habits that make one’s life pleasant. Those who cultivate such habits will be in their own world and enjoy their life. It is easy to form a habit but difficult to leave it. Habits do not leave one easily. They can remain life long as companions. One may want to leave a habit but habit does not leave them easily. However, habits need not be necessarily permanent. They are subject to change and that depends upon our will power, circumstances that we come across, company etc. Man should not allow the habits to rule him. One should never be a servant of one's habits. One should always have them under their control. Habits mold one’s character. Food habits are not uniform through out the world. The food habits vary on the basis of region and religion.Some are vegetarians and some are non vegetarians. Food habits influence one’s nature. Overeating is always bad. Our diet should be balanced one. Worrying is a bad habit. It does nobody any good. Nothing could be achieved by worrying. It does not harm anybody except the individual who worries. On the other hand, thinking is always a good habit provided it is positive thinking.Arguing is also a bad habit. It generally ends in loss of temper and quarrel. That does not mean that one should meekly submit. One should make others understand his or her points of views in a subtle manner.Bragging, boasting, flattering etc are bad habits only and those who have these habits may gain only temporarily. Even mimicry, imitation etc may be great skills but if one utilizes them for making fun of others ,then they turn out to be bad habits. Similarly, story telling is an art and it could turn out to be a habit too whereas story listening is a habit only. Suspecting one without any reason is a bad habit. Similarly,carrying tale from one to another and eavesdropping are bad habits only. Ninety-nine percent of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses.

What the religions advocate? They advocate good habits. Prayers, meditations which every religion insists upon are nothing but good habits only. It is said by Lord Tennyson that more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. Similarly meditation is a habit or practice by which one can achieve self-fulfillment, and self-improvement. It is a means to achieve peace in ourselves and in our lives. It is a journey inside

Some habits prolong our longevity. They promote good health.One should have plenty of water and attend to nature calls as soon as one gets up. This is a good habit. There is a proverb that Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and gay. Similarly it is said that an apple a day keeps a doctor away. Daily morning and evening walks are good for our health. Practice of yoga and other exercises are good. Similarly drinking water before and after having food is always good for health. Having bath at regular intervals and keeping ourselves clean is always conducive to good health. Similarly washing our hands before and after eating is quite essential. Vitamins are in larger proportion in raw vegetables than in boiled vegetables. Yet some have the habit of boiling the vegetables for they are afraid that raw vegetable contain bacteria. Similarly many people do not drink tap water or well water for they are afraid that they are contaminated. They cultivate the habit of drinking either mineral water or boiled and cooled water. Now –a- day habit of using disinfectants in every household is on the increase for that reason only.

Some habits are dangerous especially ventures which are forbidden and which cause injuries to life.Being adventurous is really a good quality or habit .But one should not be adventurous at the risk of one’s life Some have the habit of thinking while crossing a road. They remain in dream world while crossing the road without looking both the sides of a road. It is a bad habit.

Certain habits could be put to use in either way. They could be used sometimes for a good purpose or could also be used for a bad purpose too sometimes. One who has the habit of praising others could make use of that habit to encourage a person by praising moderately the good qualities that are really noticed in that person. If excess praise are showered on a person praising qualities which are not really there in that person, it is using it for a bad purpose. It tantamount to crucifying that person with a golden trident.This is what great saint Sri Basavanna says.

That is impossible at this age, we say. However if one has been accustomed to those habits since one’s childhood, one may be able to perform them that even at an old age. We follow the habits and habits follow us. There is a saying which means “Whatever habits one has at the age of three that they would continue to be with them at thirty too. Habits that one has never desert them wherever they may be. They do not desert them even at the top of a hill. Habits are great.

Habits form our character.A gentleman man normally has good habits and a rogue normally has bad habits. Habits are our back bones.We must know our habits. A bad habit not only ruins the life of an individual but also affects adversely the individual's family. Sometimes it affects the society where an individual lives. A bad habit is cancerous. It chases everyone.It is like a weed. one should not fall a prey to it. That is why it is said that if character is lost everything is lost. One falls prey to bad habits because of ignorance, curiosity adverse circumstances, company etc only. Good habits should be our hobby, pastime etc. They should be our daily routine or integral part of our life to be successful in life. It is one’s good habits or virtues that contribute much to one‘s success or successes in life. Similarly one's bad habits or vices are generally responsible for one’s downfall or slide in life. One's life depends much upon one's habits more than anything else. If everybody follows a habit, it becomes a custom. It is said that if we lead a good life habits will make it pleasant.