The chains of habit.
Samuel Johnson’s allegorical tale, ‘The Vision of Theodore’, provides a warning of the dangers in the pursuit of happiness, via a character named ‘Habit’ who would cleverly bind the unwary in chains; and then, once bound, would take them to the “caverns of despair”.
“It was the peculiar artifice of Habit not to suffer her power to be felt at first. Those whom she led, she had the address of appearing only to attend, but was continually doubling her chains upon her companions; which were so slender in themselves, and so silently fastened, that while the attention was engaged by other objects, they were not easily perceived. Each link grew tighter as it had been longer worn, and when, by continual additions, they became so heavy as to be felt, they were very frequently too strong to be broken.”
Reading this at the weekend, I stopped to think about how I’ve acquired many habits, and how I resist them.
In the absence of conscious thought and action, everything becomes a habit.
What we eat, drink and when.
What we wear, the order in how we dress, when we choose to “smarten up” or “dress down”.
When we feel energised and creative – and when we don’t.
How we react to different types of people.
How we respond to positive or negative news.
How we spend our time.
I repeat, everything becomes habitual.
Unless we make the conscious effort for it not to be.
Habits are fine up to a point.
They help speed up the mundane tasks.
But as Johnson’s tale illuminates so well, over time they can take control, and before you know it life becomes mechanical and on autorepeat.
One way to avoid this happening is to have a daily “do different.”
Change the order that you dress.
Exercise in the evening rather than first thing.
Listen to a different radio station or podcast or genre of music.
Read poetry rather than the news.
Brush your teeth from bottom first, and from right to left, (ie reverse the habitual order).
Hold your mug with the other hand – and, (obviously not at the same time!), put your watch on the other wrist.
Take a different route to work, leave at a different time.
Order something totally different from the menu at your favourite restaurant.
Once you start to consciously “do different daily” you’ll find it easier every day.
And by recognising and changing the easy habits, it will equip you to break the chains of those that limit your potential, and hence avoid the “caverns of despair.”
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