Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 68

Section XV. Of Habit

Section XV. Of Habit.

151. Q. Name one of the chief features of character;

page 44

A. One of the chief features of character is habit.

152. Q. What is habit?

A. Habit is an internal principle which leads us to do easily, naturally, and with growing certainty, what we do often.

153. Q. What habits should we cultivate?

A. It follows that we should cultivate good habits.

154. Q. Name some habits specially to

be cultivated.

A. We should habitually practise things good in themselves, such as honesty, truthfulness, justice, and temperance.

155. Q. But what further?

A. we should cultivate habits of kindness, thrift, cleanliness, tidiness, patience, punctuality, courtesy, and thoroughness.

page 45

156. Q. Is there any special reason for cultivating these?

A. As habits grow in strength, and thus increase their power, it is evident that if we are not cultivating good habits bad ones are acquiring power over us.

157. Q. How may this be illustrated?

A. livery good quality or habit has its opposite, and hence if we are not tidy we are cultivating a habit of untidiness; if we are not cleanly, we are cultivating a habit of dirtiness; and so on all through the range of life's duties.

158. Q. What then should be our line of conduct m this respect?

A. We should be careful in small things, and whatever we do, do it well.

159. Q. Is there anything further?

A. We should always speak and act in a way that will prevent our falling, into bad page 46 habits, which will bind us down to evil courses.

160. Q. Is there not something more?

A. By studying our characters and dispositions we should find out our weak points, and cultivate those habits which are good in themselves.