"Habits have been compared to handcuffs, easily put on and difficult to rid one's self of.
Virtue is born of good habits, and the formation of habits may be said to constitute almost the whole work of education."
Personally I think that to say education is mostly habit-building is a little overkill. But as someone who has build too few good habits over the course of formal education, this advice really hits home for me.
I also really do believe that goodness is a practice and not a state - and a continual one at that. Jay Smooth touches on this in this excellent TED talk. The whole thing is very worthwhile.
I recently rediscovered several hilarious and horrifying advice books belonging to my Grandfather, all dating from the early parts of the 20th Century. While I expected rampant misogyny, racism and loopiness (and was not 'disappointed' in these regards), what did surprise me was some genuinely good advice. For the next week, I will be posting bits of insight from a manners guide (see left), and a very brief explanation as to how I think each applies to my own life - 94 years after the publication date. Many of these will be apart from their original context, but I think this makes them even more prescient perhaps.
"Queen Victoria forgave certain breaches of etiquette made in ignorance, and left her guest to discover the mistake at another time. It is a reprehensible host indeed who does otherwise, and so makes a guest uncomfortable. Etiquette is all wrong and false when it makes one forget the higher laws of courtesy or hospitality."
Consider these words as you read the comments thread for any online discussion. To me, this speaks to not just etiquette, but the larger notion of not letting corrections betray a general attitude of respect. Those who energetically engage in sniveling correction, angry pedantry and flat-out knowledge wank would do well to heed this highly relevant wisdom.
