Man And Nature
Aristotle, the most practical and clear-sighted philosopher, says in his ‘Rhetoric’ that what has become habitual is, as it were, a part of Nature. The human heart will grow to be a part of our natural self. Man’s behaviour habitually comes from Nature. Sometimes men are guided by Nature. A bad habit causes loss to oneself and irritates others. We can judge ourselves if our behaviour is good or bad. Habit is overcome by habit. Eternal vigilance over our habit is the price that we must pay for acquiring a steady character. The character is nothing but a bundle of habits. Habit, when it hardens, becomes the substance of character. To quote Aristotle again, “Men acquire a particular quality by constantly acting in a particular way.” Everyone should cultivate only the habits. One’s desire and one’s character will be formed accordingly to one’s wishes. The earliest seeds of Nature, of course, are sown by the child’s tendency to imitating its elders. Therefore it is important that grown-up people should be particularly careful of their behaviour before little children. The influence of companions is the gateway through which many of our habits enter. So, everyone should develop the habit of punctuality, courtesy, truthfulness, obedience, and charity. We all know that habit is the second nature as it emanates from Nature itself.