Article for sharing - HABIT! [Part 2]

Unique in Habits

Our individual habit patterns show up not only in how we pronounce words, but in our general attitudes and demeanor in life. It shows up in how we cope with anxiety.

Some, as a result of learned habit, develop a perpetual frown, others exhibit a quick temper, others fearfulness, hostility or suspicion. Others are habitually more open, loving, friendly and exude confidence.

We develop differing, even unique, habits in our hand, body and posture movements. Different dietary and appetite habits are acquired. We develop differing feeling habits--what makes us feel good or bad, what produces fear and apprehension and how and to whom we respond sexually.

All of these are learned. We do not inherit these specific traits.

Even repeated successes or failures in life are often a matter of habit; they result from a repeated way of responding to problems and challenges in life.

Negative Side

Habits free us to learn new things. They also make it difficult for us to change established ways of doing things, or thinking or feeling. Habits lock us into certain response patterns, so we tend to resist any change in our accustomed routine, even if it is in our best interests to do so.

Too often humans are slaves to bad habits. It takes strong character to break bad habits!

Animals could never survive for long in nature if they developed many of the bad habits humans do. We may smoke, abuse alcohol, misuse sex, pop pills, overeat, under-exercise or develop emotionally destructive feelings and remain alive, though we are still slowly killing ourselves as individuals. By these bad habits we are limiting or crippling our human potential and development.

Bad habits reinforced by chemically addicting substances--nicotine and certain drugs for instance--are very hard to shake. But habits damaging human emotions and attitudes can also be very difficult, at times even more difficult, to change.

Tragically, whole nations can get locked into wrong habits of eating, acting, thinking and feeling.

"The second half of a man's life is made up of nothing but the habits he has acquired during the first half"

~ Feodor dostoevski ~

.....to be continued