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 44A. 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 45156. 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.