What are your daily habits?

---

The text explores the significance of daily habits in shaping an individual’s character and social standing. It illustrates how a blend of qualities, rather than mere self-praise, is essential to navigate life effectively. Through allegorical stories, particularly that of a snake seeking guidance from a saint, the narrative conveys that simplicity can lead to vulnerability. Good habits are depicted as essential for personal and societal well-being, while bad habits can become detrimental over time. Ultimately, individuals must prudently choose their habits to foster productivity, moral character, and overall social contribution, with guidance expected from parents and educators.

---

He is a simple person, and like other human beings, he has some good and bad qualities. He is a humble individual who rarely talks about himself, unlike many of his peers who ruthlessly engage in self-praise and self-obsession. Surrounded by people with a narcissistic bent, he found himself unfit for such a “practical” society. The next fable illustrates the point better. Here it goes.

There lived a snake near the village. It was long, black, and deadly poisonous. It often hissed loudly, causing people to fearfully avoid the area. They often try to mutilate and stone it. Every time, it gets a narrow escape and can save its life. The snake was desperate and wanted to get rid of the problem. It approached a saint.

The saint was meditating in his hut. It was a nice, serene place, situated in the deep forest. Trees were blooming, and a freshwater spring was in the vicinity. The saint’s face was shining with a spiritual glow. The snake decided to wait. After a while, the saint came out of the hut to find the snake waiting for him. Opposite to its habit, it didn’t hiss but politely put its point before the saint and beseeched his blessings. “Stop biting people”, the saint said after a brief lull. “Try to win the confidence of people by your goodwill gesture”, the saint concluded. The snake bowed and went away.

A few days later, the snake again visited the saint. This time, it was badly injured, weak and exhausted. “Sire! They still hurt me even if I slough off the habit of biting people”, the snake wailed. It narrated its woe at length and groaned. The saint listened to it and asked, “Did I tell you to stop hissing as well?” The saint continued, “A little fear is also needed to ward off evil forces. Go and start practising it,” The saint concluded. The snake never faced difficulty after that.

The message is loud and clear. Over-simplicity is not good for an organism. Chanakya had said that a straight tree in the jungle is the most favoured of wood cutters who axe it on priority. A person should be a mix of different qualities to wade through the thick and thin of life.

While asking, people enthusiastically speak about all their best qualities, habits and traits. Though they lack most of them, they boastfully talk about their “qualities”, claiming to have them aplenty. This is probably due to their hidden wish for attention, and partly because of the growing trend to boast about oneself, as it boosts self-confidence. People are seen lugging a burden of self-praise and mendacity.

Talking about one’s abilities is good for psychological reasons. It shows the ability of self-awareness, but it must not be exaggerated. Lord Hanuman, a mighty God, was not aware of the prodigious qualities he was gifted with. Jamvant reminded him of his qualities and abilities. Realising it, Lord Hanuman readied and crossed the ocean to reach Lanka. It is a symbol which tells a lot about human traits and discourages garrulous talking about oneself.

A child is born with many inherent human qualities. It is a blend of various traits, the sum of which determines the nature and personality of a child in the future. Our sagacious primogenitors had visualised the five fundamental elements, that is, earth, fire, water, air and space. The amount of qualities in an individual determines the basic nature. Fire, for instance, denotes heat. Excess of this element leads the person to have an irascible, irritating and hot nature. Similarly, other elements show their characters. Every character has a little overriding effect to counterbalance the trait. It can be calibrated by practice.  

Barring a few genetic characteristics, some traits are acquired and picked up by an individual from their surroundings and society. A vernacular-speaking child, for instance, can speak fluently any other language if placed in altogether different surroundings. A child born in, say, England would speak English, but when shifted to, say, France, he would learn to speak French as well. Over time, the knowledge gained becomes a habit and integrates into one’s personality.

Here is yet another illustration. A child exposed to an informal and ludicrous company can pick up unpalatable or sometimes illegal activities. A brat child can pick up any unlawful habits like taking drugs, intoxicants, smoking or liquor. The persistent use of inebriation makes him addicted, which is one step ahead of habit, very hard to ward off.

Thus, an acquired trait or habit has to be chosen with care. Habits that are detrimental to health, studies, career and social status must not only be avoided, but a feeling of disdain against them needs to be developed. It is rightly said that a good company is like a helping hand that drags one out of the den of frustration and unsuccess. It helps in building strong moral character with hard work and a wish for overall goodwill. Some people are truthful and righteous, but on the contrary, there are people of loose moral character, indecisive and incredible. They can’t be relied upon. The latter type of people are unproductive, regressive and a burden. Like the old man in the story of “Sinbad and the Old Man of the Sea”, they always try to cling as an obligate parasite, suck the nutrition and harm their host. Such lurid characters need to be isolated and if possible, treated properly to become good citizens. 

People of strong will, morals and high esteem are assets to society and the country. They significantly contribute to the overall development of whichever field they belong to. They can be a scientist, a man of letters, a philosopher, a soldier, an engineer or a doctor. Everyone contributes their share for the emancipation of their country, society and family by the illustrious example they set.

In contrast to it, people of loose morality and character who don’t do anything except for backbiting are quidnuncs who, like rats, feed on the ration of the household and damage the foundation of the house they live in. The pests need to be eliminated.

What should be encouraged and inculcated, and what should not, is to be decided by the parents and teachers. It goes without saying that waking up early in the morning and sticking to a routine, doing constructive work, is rewarding. The invested hard labour pays dividends without fail.

The habits, thus, are acquired and can be chosen. It is not difficult to differentiate between good and bad habits. Beneficial to the individual, society, and country are good habits, while contrary habits are bad habits. It is easy to recognize bad and harmful habits at an early stage and to discard them. At a later stage, it is difficult as they become part of the psyche. Consuming hooch, for instance, can temporarily relieve a person from physical and mental tension and appear good, but it becomes a sore that destroys the whole family and pushes them into the ditch of doom. A prudent, responsible, and self-respecting person would definitely not choose it. 

There are habits which don’t affect people but adversely affect the work, health and social life of an individual. Those who are late risers and haven’t seen the sun rise lose a precious morning hour. Early rising enhances efficiency and productivity by increasing the length of the day. People who are overworked or under the spell of intoxication can’t get up early. The fast-changing urban life is also responsible for it. The increasing craze of nightlife is adding considerably to it. Late-night parties, exposure to harsh flashing lights and the cacophony of loud music are health hazards. This habit needs to be shed. Sooner the better.

The above discourse is neither appropriate for a sermon nor is it the aim of this write-up. The ultimate authority to choose good or bad is the individual and their prudence. The write-up lists out the merits and demerits of good and bad habits and briefly discusses them. It all depends on a person and their prudence to choose the one they wish.

-END-