An enquiry into the formation of habit in man / by Alfred T. Schofield.

  • Schofield, A. T. (Alfred Taylor), 1846-1929.
Date:
[1893]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An enquiry into the formation of habit in man / by Alfred T. Schofield. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    character as displayed in handwriting as well as in the lines that habit has traced upon the face, rendering physiognomy a true science. We have also ideal habits, and here as else- where habit means ease. Attention may be deliberately manufactured as a habit by the inattentive. For this is the charm and value about habit; that if we begin soon enough, and particularly in childhood, and pre-eminently before the age of ten, we can absolutely engraft into the child’s character many of those valuable mental qualities which it may lack. The habit of enquiry is easily acquired in young life, and is invaluable in after years, and simply means going through life with one’s eyes open instead of shut. The habit of -perfect execution is invaluable, but must be taught early. Perhaps no other mental habit leads to greater success in every calling in life. Sloyd is the physical means by which this habit is best taught in childhood; for the essence of sloyd is not what is made, but that it should be perfectly finished in all its parts. Industry is another invaluable habit. Moral habits.—But we must pass on to moral habits. Now if we wish to produce some valuable moral quality in a child, the easiest way to do it is to establish the quality as a habit; the most difficult and uncertain is to depend on direct pre- cept. lo be always telling a child to be truthful is a poor way of making him so ; but to accustom him to use his words m talking exactly as a painter uses his colours in painting so that his word, picture shall be a faithful copy of what he is describing, painted in words instead of water colours ; this persevered in, will give him the habit of truthful speaking as a fine art, apart from its. moral value, which of course will only strengthen the habit. In a similar way most moral qualities can be formed as mental habits—deliberately, surely and easily as compared with any other method ; and if suffi- ciently well established, it is harder to depart from them than o display them. Thus decision, self-control, obedience, self- respect, unselfishness, courtesy, reVerence, can, one and all be termed by frequent repetition in early life. We know nothin - • trac^s tlat eimu'e their permanence ; all we know tfiat they are as sure and lasting as physical habits in this connection those words of Holy Writ derive an “TraT,uP a child >» the way that he should woufdudnfh he ,°ld tewi “A‘ depart fir,- would add “ because he cannot.” we b 2 **** f ^ Y S e4*